Online Reporter
FORTALEZA. − The Banco Central burglary has become one of the most infamous and daring heists in criminal history.
The robbers managed to tunnel their way into the vault of the Banco Central in Brazil and walked away with US$70 million in Brazilian currency.
The Banco Central is located in the capital of the Brazilian state of Ceara, Fortaleza. The Banco Central is a major financial institution that is responsible for issuing and handling Brazil’s currency.
At the time of the heist, the bank used a variety of security measures including: motion detectors, security cameras and reinforced concrete walls.
However, despite all these measures, the thieves were able to find a way to break into the bank.
The crew responsible for the surprising Banco Central robbery created a plan that was so cunning it shocked the world.
They rented a property a few blocks away from the bank and posed as a landscape company.
They began to dig a tunnel and over the course of three months, they dug out a 256-foot tunnel, which ran beneath a city street and emerged right beneath the bank’s vault.
the massive tunnel was reinforced with wooden beams, installed lighting and even had a proper ventilation system to keep the air fresh.
By the time the crew had finished the tunnel, it was large enough for a person to comfortably walk in.
The crew of master thieves put their plan into action on the weekend of August 6-7, 2005.
They broke through the concrete floor of the vault and bypassed the bank’s security measures and started to remove the money stored within the vault.
After all their work, they managed to steal nearly 3.5 tons of Brazilian currency, totaling almost US$70 million.
The thieves transported the money back through the tunnel and loaded it into a nearby van.
When the bank employees arrived on Monday morning, they were welcomed by a scene of chaos and destruction, as the crew was long gone with their massive haul.
As the police were investigating, they discovered the crew’s hideout complete with detailed plans of the bank and tunnel.
They soon realised that the team conducted extensive research and had detailed knowledge of the bank’s security measures.
This caused some to believe the heist may have been an inside job.
Over the years there have been questions that are still unanswered.
First, how were the thieves able to much such a vast amount of money without drawing attention.
Some believe the stolen money was laundered, while some believe it was smuggled out of Brazil.
There are some who have speculated about the possible involvement of corrupt police officers or other government officials in the heist.
In 2011, a former police officer was arrested and convicted for his role in planning and executing of the heist, increasing suspicion about possible collusion between the crew and law enforcement.
One of the biggest questions left unanswered is where is the rest of the money as US$61 million of the US$70 million has still not been found.
This has led some to believe it was buried or hidden in remote locations, waiting for the thieves to retrieve it at a later time. − hubpages.com
Mathew Masinge