This is something that looks like it's straight out of a movie. Yesterday afternoon about 30 million USD worth of gold and other precious metal was stolen from the cargo terminal at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos Airport. The robbers sure had a well thought out plan, when you consider how hard this should be to pull…
Continue reading: Video: $30 Million Of Gold Stolen From Sao Paulo Airport
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There was a post recently of a travel blogger who wrote that Brazil is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. His bio is Travel Consultant
So all those baggage handlers stand around watching while the loot is being crammed into the car trunk... and no one thinks to use his cell phone to dial 194 (the number for the federal police)?
Really, the baggage handlers should risk their lives over someone else’s money?
There is a reason corporate stores instruct their employees to cooperate with robbers and fire the idiots who decide to play hero.
What I don't understand is how the cargo area of this airport doesn't have armed security, even if only for the days when high value items like this are being moved. Why didn't whoever owns this gold pay for armed security to watch it throughout its journey? Or do you just buy insurance to cover the goods and file a claim should something like this happen?
What a stupid idea. If they were seen calling the cops, they'd be shot in the head.
For what, someone else's insured cargo?
I guess we shouldn't complain too much when handlers lose or steal stuff from our cheked bags. And be prepared to lose your bags at GRU.
If they can snatch 30m in gold, they can take anything.
On other news, a Swiss gold dealer filed claim under Montreal Convention and got 1131 SDR for the gold bars.
@Eskimo did you miss the fact that it was not baggage handlers or employees who stole the gold? That it was non employee criminals?
@JamesHoganFan
You don't need to look up some travel blogger's post to learn about Brazil being corrupt, it's widely known knowledge.
Don't put anything through checked luggage in airports in Brazil, South Africa, etc. unless you're ok with losing it.
The camera moves - i.e. it is presumably not a static CCTV camera, but one operated by a human so that person could (and probably did) call the police.
They just didn't come particularly quickly.
I agree that I am surprised there was not additional security.
@Bagoly, the camera is moving because the video is being played on a monitor and someone is recording with their cell phone. Thats why you have audio that doesn't match whats happening in the video.
Look to the lower right corner of the video, you'll see the edge of the monitor and various icons
Yes, calling the cops while an armed robber has a gun pointed at you would be pretty stupid.
Calling the cops while the armed robber is busy cramming stuff into the trunk of his getaway car, and not paying attention to anything else, is less stupid. Especially if you sneak off somewhere to do it.
@BrewerSEA Risk their lives? Give me a break. Given the complete non-interest the robbers were showing to the workers what it suggests is that some of these workers were in on this. Everyone of those employees need to be locked into a small room for a full interrogation. At least one person if not more is on this.
"What I don’t understand is how the cargo area of this airport doesn’t have armed security, even if only for the days when high value items like this are being moved. " - Being its a cargo area for an airport I would think there would be armed security especially in a place like Brazil. People were paid off.
@BrewerSea You're absolutely correct. Same thing for bank robberies, all employees stay calm and hand over the money or valuables. It's all insured anyway. And if it wasn't, it's never worth a person's life. Like never.
Damn, right in my hometown! Crazy yet not that crazy for Brazil. If you like seeing this stuff in movies/TV, watch La Casa de Papel (Money Heist in english title) on Netflix. It's an incredible show and one of the most popular international shows on Netflix.
At least that we know of, no one was hurt, right? Soooo glad no one got hurt, at least that we know of!