(Reuters) - The Malian authorities started removing gold stocks from Canadian miner Barrick Gold's Loulo-Gounkoto site by helicopter on Saturday, four sources familiar with the situation said on Monday.
Two of the sources said around three tons had been taken. One of the sources said the value of the seized gold amounted to $245 million. It was not clear where the gold was taken.
Barrick and the Malian authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The company said in a note to Malian staff on Sunday that the military-led government had begun enforcing an order to seize Barrick's gold stock at the complex, and warned again that it may have to suspend operations at the complex over the long-running dispute.
(Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Jan Harvey)
By Portia Crowe, Divya Rajagopal and Giulia Paravicini