Heist

I heard about this yesterday on NPR, I think, but I read it again today in the paper. Thieves in Brazil have stolen 68.8 million dollars from the Central Bank of Brazil in Fortaleza, making it the second largest bank heist ever, after only Saddam Hussein when he took off with about 1 billion dollars while fleeing from the US occupation. The thieves tunneled under the building to break in, drawing comparisons to another robbery last year in the Sao Paulo, where thieves also tunneled into a bulding to steal 1 million dollars. The robberies are believed to have been masterminded by the same man, Teixera da Silva (freaking everybody in Brazil named da Silva, including the President), who escaped from prison three years ago-by tunneling out.

Incidentally, there's a pretty good movie about the kidnapping of the US ambassador to Brazil in the 60s or 70s by the group MR-8, which early on in the movie pulls off another famous bank heist. If I recall correctly, that may have been the largest bank robbery in Brazil up until this point, though I could be totally making that up. The ambassador is played by Alan Arkin. The movie also features Matheus Nachtergaele, who is in every Brazilian movie you will ever see.

Filed in: News Cinema Brazil