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Post by Rock Chuck on Aug 8, 2005 22:46:26 GMT -5
Yes, this belongs in shoptalk. It involves the use of tools and good engineering knowhow. I smell an inside job here.
Dick
Robbers Tunnel Into Bank, Steal $65M Monday, August 08, 2005
FOX News CountryWatch: Brazil SAO PAULO, Brazil — Thieves tunneled nearly 300 feet to a Central Bank vault in northeastern Brazil (search) and stole about $65 million, police said Monday, in what has been described as the biggest such robbery ever in Brazil.
The money was stolen from the Central Bank's vault in the city of Fortaleza (search), about 1,550 miles northeast of Sao Paulo.
The thieves built a 13-foot deep, 262-foot-long tunnel from a house near the bank to the vault, federal police said in a statement.
The elaborate tunnel had electric lights and walls reinforced with wood panels and lined with plastic sheeting, police said.
The short statement did not explain how the robbers broke through the vault's six-foot thick concrete walls to reach the cash. Police said the robbers left behind a drill, electric saw and a blowtorch.
The heist took place sometime between 6 p.m. Friday when the vault was closed for the weekend, and 8 a.m. Monday when it was reopened. The statement said cameras and motion detectors inside the vault did not function.
The biggest previous bank heist in Brazil took place in 1999 when thieves got away with about $16 million from a Sao Paulo (search) bank.
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Post by ncboman on Aug 8, 2005 23:36:14 GMT -5
Good grief. It sure would be fun to suddenly have so much money.
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Post by Rock Chuck on Aug 9, 2005 10:06:10 GMT -5
Do you think it was just coincidence that the cameras and motion detectors weren't working that particular weekend?
Dick
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Post by ncboman on Aug 9, 2005 10:28:35 GMT -5
doesn't surprize me at all.
In countries where corruption is king, 65 mil will grease a lot of wheels. On the other hand, if the thieves had the wherewithall to dig such a tunnel unbeknownst, I'd figure disabling the security system would be part of the plan.
I question why an armed guard wasn't posted with so much cash on hand. It smells.
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