September 3, 2006

Bank Robbery Foiled

About a year ago, a group of very creative criminals tunneled under a Bank of Brazil in Fortaleza and walked off with millions of dollars. Yesterday, they almost did it again.

Brazil Police Foil Tunneling Bank Robbers - OhmyNews International

Twenty-eight people were arrested by the Federal Police of Brazil, Friday, during an audacious robbery attempt. The gang was tunneling into two bank safes in Porto Alegre, in the south of Brazil, when police arrived at the bank building, located at the intersection of Maua Avenue and Caldas Junior Street.

According to police, the tunnel was already 80 m long (262.5 feet), just five meters (16.4 feet) shy of the target.

The robbery was planned for Sept. 7, the Independence Day holiday.

Unsuccessful this time, the gang's technique had already worked. On Aug. 5, 2005, a group carried out a similar plan, digging a tunnel to the Central Bank of Brazil safes, in the city of Fortaleza. More than 164 million Reals (US$74.9 million) were stolen and just 20 million Reals ($9.1 million) recovered. The eight men arrested today were part of last year's group.

Posted by Andrew on September 3, 2006 11:15 AM.