Unfortunately, being held hostage during bank robberies is tragically not uncommon.
In Brazil, however, this has now been implemented in a particularly frightening way.
Araçatuba - In the Brazilian state of São Paulo, criminals showed particular cruelty on Monday (August 30).
In the 200,000-inhabitant city of Araçatuba in the south-east of the country, around 20 gunmen are said to have attacked a total of two banks.
Three people were killed.
There is no official information about the amount of the stolen prey.
Brutal escape in Brazil: bank robbers use hostages as human shields
In order to protect themselves from the police, the criminals overcame every limit of the untenable and tied previously taken hostages to the outside of their getaway vehicles.
As if that weren't enough, the bank robbers distributed several explosive devices in the city before their unscrupulous action, which they then detonated in the course of their escape.
Police stations are also said to have been surrounded, reports local media.
According to eyewitness accounts, the men looked like soldiers, with bulletproof vests, rifles and helmets.
Two uninvolved civilians and one of the perpetrators were killed, two other robbers were arrested.
A reconnaissance commission of 380 members has now been set up to catch the robbers.
Hostages as protection from the police: Brazilian bank robbers show particular cruelty
The problem doesn't seem to be new in Brazil.
In recent years there have been several large-scale bank robberies using heavy weapons.
A money transporter was also attacked recently in Berlin.
In Munich, a bank was attacked directly at the main train station in 2020 - the perpetrator was exposed because of an absurd mistake.
List of rubric lists: © Lazaro Jr./Hojemais Aracatuba / AFP
