• news

• World news

• America

Residents were taken as human shields: 3 killed in a daring bank robbery in Brazil

A group of about 20 gunmen raided a bank in the city of Sao Paulo, using skimmers to monitor what was happening on the streets.

During the escape attempt, they tied residents to the roof of a car and threw explosives.

Two passers-by and a robber, and several of them were arrested.

Brazil has recently suffered from a string of violent bank robberies

Tags

• Brazil

• Bank robbery

Reuters

Tuesday, 31 August 2021, 08:39

• Share on Facebook

• Share on WhatsApp

• Share on general

• Share on general

• Share on Twitter

• Share on Email

0 comments

Residents tied to an escape vehicle during the robbery (Photo: screenshot, Twitter)

Armed robbers attacked several banks in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, yesterday (Monday), using residents as human shields.

They left behind a trail of explosive devices and fired at the police officers who were unable to stop them.

According to a senior security official in the country, at least three people were killed in the daring attack, which took place around midnight in the city of Arstova.

A series of violent bank robberies in Brazil have recently been reported.

Experts believe the welfare program done to help the poor during the corona plague has encouraged robbers to plan daring raids on sleepy school towns, where banks hold the most cash.

The secretary general of the Sao Paulo Military Police, Albero Camilo, said at a news conference that the attack involved more than 20 gunmen, who used ten vehicles.

According to the military police statement, upon entering the city, the gunmen used skimmers to monitor what was happening on the streets, rob the banks and escape.

During their escape, the robbers used residents as human shields and burned cars, scattering explosives around the city, where about 200,000 people live.

Camilo urged residents not to leave their homes until security forces located all the explosives and neutralized them. He said there were two shootings between the robbers and the police. Among the three killed were two locals and one of the attackers. Two robbers were arrested, and a passerby injured by an explosion lost one of his legs.

According to Camilo, more than 350 police officers are deployed in the city and they are using two helicopters to track down the robbers.

He added that the local branch of "Banco do Brasil" was used for cash storage - something that the authorities in the country were not aware of.

Last December, two branches of the bank were similarly attacked in the cities of Kamata and Krikioma, day after day.

Camilo said it was too early to know if there was a connection between those robberies and yesterday's raid.

Brazil has a long history of bank break-ins, and large companies have struggled in recent years to deal with a string of violent robberies.

• Share on Facebook

• Share on WhatsApp

• Share on general

• Share on general

• Share on Twitter

• Share on Email

0 comments