They stole $ 3 million in a tourist emblem of Bariloche: the Cerro Otto cable car

Claudio Andrade

02/18/2021 16:09

• Clarín.com

• Police

Updated 02/18/2021 4:09 PM

One of the most emblematic tourist areas in Bariloche, the Cerro Otto cable car, suffered a daring theft that would exceed 3 million pesos.

Basically, it is all the money raised during the long Carnival weekend that generated an occupancy level of more than 80% in the Andean town.

This is a particularly sensitive theft since the cable car is owned by the Sara María Furman Foundation, which, year after year, hands over all of its profits

for charitable purposes

.

At least 50% of your income is donated to the local hospital.

The thieves demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the building that is located at kilometer 5 of Pioneros Avenue and just in front of Police Station 27. A key area of ​​local tourism where shops, supermarkets and cabin complexes are concentrated.

It is also an ascent route for those who dare to walk up the hill of the same name.

The intruders entered the scene after 6 p.m. Tuesday through the main gate, when the activity had already concluded.

Once inside, they went straight to the office where the safe is located.

To get to this unit, they barely broke the entrance lock and the kitchen door.

The first to note the abnormalities was a gardener who arrived on Wednesday to do his work around 8 in the morning.

The building lacks alarms and

the interior security cameras were covered

by the assailants.

To make matters worse, the person in charge of manipulating these devices is on vacation, according to reports.

The Cerro Otto cable car, in Bariloche.

Investigations reveal that they used power tools on the metal box containing the bundles of bills.

For now, the Rio Negro Police have no suspects, it was learned.

Prosecutors Inti Isla and Cristian Barría intervene in the case.

In principle, all employees of the cable car will be questioned and their activities before and after the theft will be compared, local sources indicated.

During the procedure, the members of the Criminalistics Cabinet of the provincial Police took fingerprints at the key points of the building that the unknown persons passed through.

At least one thing is certain, sources of the investigation indicate,

the thieves knew the plan of the building

and, even more precisely, where the safe was located.

Taking into account the system with which it was violated, it is also likely that they were aware of the characteristics of the lock itself.

The thieves carried out a clean task and did not commit any kind of outrage, it was reported.

The employees of the cable car did not detect other missing or breaks in the premises.

The Police are dedicated during these hours to analyze the content of the surveillance cameras in the surroundings in order to discover suspicious movements in the streets.

Bariloche was

overwhelmed with tourists

in the last four days.

The cable car can transport more than 350 people per day, under the new sanitary protocol, although hundreds of vehicles park in front and in the surroundings, so the work of the experts will be arduous.

The Cerro Otto cable car, in Bariloche.

In front of the cable car building there is a parking lot and just behind it is a field that also belongs to the Sarah Furman Foundation, used for sports and walks.

"The rest of the doors of the building remained closed," reported Officer Pablo Millaguán, in charge of Police Station 27. The agent acknowledged that the building has a "sophisticated camera" system, but that it was useless in this regard.

Police station 27 is about 250 meters from the entrance to the cable car, crossing Avenida Pioneros.

EMJ