Brazil Night Life
"I'd heard a commotion, but I thought it was fireworks. Suddenly, a man pushed me off my motorbike and told me to stop. At first, I thought it was a police checkpoint but then I saw they were assailants,""If they saw someone peeking from a window, they'd shoot in that direction to frighten everyone and show us they weren't playing."Unnamed hostage, Aracatuba, Brazil"They told me to get out of the car, tore off my shirt and threw my cap on the ground,""I was put onto the bonnet of a car and told: 'If you let go, if you try to throw yourself off, I'll stop the car and shoot you in the face'.""I think I have never held on so tightly to anything as I did then."Unnamed hostage, Aracatuba, Brazil
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| People in nearby buildings captured grainy video of the shocking incident on smartphones Twitter |
Heavily armed, military style, a group of bank robbers struck a southeastern city in Brazil on Monday hitting several banks, setting vehicles on fire and tying hostages to getaway cars to prevent police from firing at them. At least three people died in the melee. Brazil has long been resigned to random violence, but this time Brazilians responded to this event in shock and fear in reflection of the well-timed and -organized crime spree and its brutal choreography.
Aracatuba, with its 200,000 population located in Sao Paulo state was suddenly awakened about midnight when the gang struck at several banks and gunshots were heard through the otherwise-still night. Residents were advised by authorities to remain in their homes. Social media sites along with local news reports indicated up to ten people clinging to getaway cars, strapped onto the cars to ensure police would hesitate to fire.
Of the three people who died two were reported to have been local residents while the third was a part of the criminal group. Once the group had made good their escape, their hostages were reported to have been released. Mayor Dilador Borges spoke of a feeling of "helplessness" in consideration of the boldness of the action and its dread consequences.
This event appears to be yet another example of a new type of crime wave alarming Brazil; shock-and-awe bank robberies; nighttime raids intricately planned and executed by well-financed groups possessing military-style weapons and gadgets. During the raid, the group flew a drone over the city tracking movements.
Anyone still out in the city square became a hostage. Group members set vehicles on fire with the intention of blocking police from following their exit. Explosive devices were left throughout the city. "I'm in tears and desperate. Help, Lord, protect the people here. My God it looks like a movie scene what is happening here", wrote one resident.
Specialized criminal gangs have emerged, with a blueprint for action that is becoming familiar. These raids occur in the night hours in mid-sized cities, appearing toward the end or beginning of a month when banks are likely to have cash on hand to pay out to people waiting for their public welfare assistance.
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| Heavily armed bank robbers wreaked havoc in Aracatuba early Monday, striking three banks, setting fire to vehicles and tying hostages to their getaway cars, officials say. |
In the city of Araraquara in Sao Paolo state in November another criminal group set fire to a number of vehicles in proximity to a police station with the intention of blocking a response chase, while they set about robbing a number of banks. Then the city of Criciuma in southern Santa Catarine state saw 30 heavily armed criminals in ten vehicles attack a military police station then hit Banco do Brasil in the largest robbery in state history.
Labels: Bank Robbery, Brazil, Criminal Gangs, Hostage Taking
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, September 01, 2021
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