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 off.
Over 1,500 pounds of metal was stolen, including over 700 pounds of gold. This was meant to be sent to Zurich and New York.
So, what happened? The group of thieves held one of the cargo dispatchers and his family hostage since Wednesday afternoon, to get inside information about the facility, and what the most valuable cargo is.
Presumably based on that information, on Thursday afternoon they drove into the cargo facility with two cloned police cars, wearing masks and heavily armed, with the hostage along with them. The employees in the cargo area cooperated, and helped them load the cargo into their car using forklifts.
After escaping they abandoned their vehicles, and got into a pickup truck and used an ambulance to transport the stolen cargo.
Fortunately no one was injured or shot (at least that we know of), though the thieves haven’t yet been identified or found.
All of this was captured on tape, and OMG it’s some dramatic footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=904KAXgN5Z8
It really looks like something out of the latest Hollywood movie, rather than a scenario that played out in real life.
I guess we should be happy no one was hurt, at least that we know of. I hope these guys are caught, though we at least have to give them credit for devising a plan that’s well thought out and seems like it could be the plot of a movie.
It’ll be interesting to learn more details about this case. How did they know who they should kidnap to get more information, was no aspect of this an inside job, etc.?
The Brazilian Job
Small correction - it was 700 Kg of gold - about 1543 lbs
At least that we know of, no one was hurt, right? Soooo glad no one got hurt, at least that we know of!
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.
@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.
Nothing that hasn’t happen before in Brazil. This is very common.
"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 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.
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.
Watch Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) on Netflix if you liked this...
Look to the lower right corner of the video, you'll see the edge of the monitor and various icons
@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.
Money Heist irl
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.
@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.
@Eskimo did you miss the fact that it was not baggage handlers or employees who stole the gold? That it was non employee criminals?
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.
Just another day in brazil
@snic
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?
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?
@snic
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.
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)?
This may just one up the Lufthansa heist at JFK.
Wow!
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 this is basically Fast 5 but in an airport!