Banco Central burglary at Fortaleza
Encyclopedia
The Banco Central burglary at Fortaleza was the theft of about R$
160 million from the vault of the Banco Central
branch located in Fortaleza
, in the state of Ceará
, Brazil
. It is one of the world's largest heists, along with the 1987 Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery
in London
.
notes, with an estimated value of R$ 164,755,150 (about 94.3 million USD as of December, 2009) and weighing about 3.5 tons. The money was uninsured, a bank spokesperson stating that the risks were too small to justify the insurance premiums. The burglars managed to evade or disable the bank's internal alarms and sensors, and the burglary remained undiscovered until the bank opened for business the following Monday.
Banco Central is the Brazilian central bank
, charged with control of the money supply
. The money in the vault was to be examined to decide whether it should be recirculated or destroyed. The bills were not numbered sequentially, making them almost impossible to trace.
company selling both natural and artificial grass
as well as plant
s. Neighbours, who estimated that the gang consisted of between six and ten men, described how they had seen van-loads of soil being removed daily, but understood this to be a normal activity of the business. The tunnel
, being roughly 70 cm (2.3 ft) square and running 4 meters (13 ft) beneath the surface, was well-constructed: it was lined with wood and plastic and had its own lighting and air conditioning
systems.
-reinforced concrete
to enter the bank vault. A considerable amount of time would be required to remove and transport the money due to the volume and weight of the amount that was taken.
, and experts in math, engineering and excavation."
Police located a pick-up truck branded with a Grama Sintética (Synthetic Turf) logo found at the rented house. Bolt cutters, a blow torch
, an electric saw
and other tools used to penetrate the concrete barrier were found both inside the vault and within the empty property. The house was covered in burnt lime to avoid fingerprint
s.
is investigating a possible connection between the burglars and car resellers in Fortaleza. On August 10, 2005 the Military Police
of Minas Gerais
arrested two men driving a car-carrying truck in Sete Lagoas
, near Belo Horizonte
, Minas Gerais
. More than R$ 2.13 million was recovered in three pickup trucks being transported.
Five men were arrested on September 28, 2005 with about R$ 5.22 million of the money and told the police they had helped dig the tunnel. Eighteen suspects remain at large. Prosecutors have said the group tried unsuccessfully to charter a small plane days before the robbery to escape and move the money out of the country.
On October 20, 2005 the body of one of the alleged masterminds, Luis Fernando Ribeiro, 26, was found on an isolated road near Camanducaia
, 200 miles (320 km) west of Rio de Janeiro
. He had been shot seven times and had handcuff marks on his wrists. "It was definitely because of the robbery," according to a police official of Minas Gerais
who identified himself only as Corporal Leonino.
Ribeiro fled from Fortaleza
to São Paulo
after the robbery and was kidnapped on October 7, 2005. His family paid R$ 893,600 in ransom, but he was not freed. There were signs that police officers have been involved in the kidnapping and killing, and three of them have been arrested.
On October 28, 2005 a person linked to a former security guard involved in the burglary was arrested with R$ 85,100 and on November 10 three more suspects were arrested.
From October 22, 2005 until April 13, 2006 the police discovered six kidnappings related to this robbery and in all cases the relatives of the victims paid the ransom.
On August 1, 2006 Brazilian authorities found R$ 178,100 buried in a house in Natal
, Rio Grande do Norte
.
A prepaid phone card was found inside the tunnel. The Federal Police located the cell phone associated with it and had it wiretapped. On September 1, 2006 a special operation named "Operação Facção Toupeira" (Operation Mole
Faction) was started, leading the police to arrest 43 people suspect of involvement on the heist including one of the alleged masterminds, and recovering R$ 275,100 in cash.
On October 3, 2006 the body of another suspect, Evandro José das Neves, was found at a favela
in São Paulo
.
On January 28, 2007 Márcio Rafael Pierre, another of the alleged masterminds, was arrested in São Paulo
. On April 19, also in São Paulo
, a suspect named Edson Pereira de Queiroz was arrested.
So far, authorities have recovered only about R$ 8.93 million.
Brazilian real
The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos ....
160 million from the vault of the Banco Central
Central Bank of Brazil
The Central Bank of Brazil is Brazil's monetary authority. It was established on December 31, 1964.The Central Bank is linked with the Ministry of Finance. Like other central banks, the Brazilian central bank is the principal monetary authority of the country...
branch located in Fortaleza
Fortaleza
Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. With a population close to 2.5 million , Fortaleza is the 5th largest city in Brazil. It has an area of and one of the highest demographic densities in the country...
, in the state of Ceará
Ceará
Ceará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It is one of the world's largest heists, along with the 1987 Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery
Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery
The Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery took place on 12 July 1987 in Knightsbridge, England, part of the City of Westminster in London. This robbery, the Banco Central burglary at Fortaleza, and the $900 million stolen from the Central Bank of Iraq in 2003 are said to be the largest bank...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The burglary
On the weekend of August 6, 2005, a gang of burglars tunneled into the bank and removed five containers of 50-realBrazilian real
The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos ....
notes, with an estimated value of R$ 164,755,150 (about 94.3 million USD as of December, 2009) and weighing about 3.5 tons. The money was uninsured, a bank spokesperson stating that the risks were too small to justify the insurance premiums. The burglars managed to evade or disable the bank's internal alarms and sensors, and the burglary remained undiscovered until the bank opened for business the following Monday.
Banco Central is the Brazilian central bank
Central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is a public institution that usually issues the currency, regulates the money supply, and controls the interest rates in a country. Central banks often also oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries...
, charged with control of the money supply
Money supply
In economics, the money supply or money stock, is the total amount of money available in an economy at a specific time. There are several ways to define "money," but standard measures usually include currency in circulation and demand deposits .Money supply data are recorded and published, usually...
. The money in the vault was to be examined to decide whether it should be recirculated or destroyed. The bills were not numbered sequentially, making them almost impossible to trace.
Planning
Three months before the burglary, the criminals rented an empty house in the centre of the city and tunneled 78 meters (256 ft) beneath two city blocks to a position beneath the bank. The gang had renovated the house and put up a sign indicating it was a landscapingLandscaping
Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:# living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.#...
company selling both natural and artificial grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
as well as plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s. Neighbours, who estimated that the gang consisted of between six and ten men, described how they had seen van-loads of soil being removed daily, but understood this to be a normal activity of the business. The tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
, being roughly 70 cm (2.3 ft) square and running 4 meters (13 ft) beneath the surface, was well-constructed: it was lined with wood and plastic and had its own lighting and air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
systems.
Execution
On the final weekend, the gang broke through 1.1 meters (3.6 ft) of steelSteel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
-reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
to enter the bank vault. A considerable amount of time would be required to remove and transport the money due to the volume and weight of the amount that was taken.
Investigation
"They worked for several months", police said, "The gardening company was working since March. They had sophisticated equipment, including GPSGlobal Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
, and experts in math, engineering and excavation."
Police located a pick-up truck branded with a Grama Sintética (Synthetic Turf) logo found at the rented house. Bolt cutters, a blow torch
Blow torch
A blowtorch , blow torch , or blowlamp is a tool for applying lower-intensity and more diffuse flame and heat for various applications, than the oxyacetylene torch. Before aerosol cans and pressurized gas cylinders, fuel was pressurized by a syringe or pump...
, an electric saw
Saw
A saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive...
and other tools used to penetrate the concrete barrier were found both inside the vault and within the empty property. The house was covered in burnt lime to avoid fingerprint
Fingerprint
A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
s.
Suspects
The Brazilian Federal PolicePolicia Federal
Policia Federal may refer to:Argentina:* Argentine Federal PoliceBrazil:* Federal Police Mexico:* Federal Police * Federal Judicial Police, until 2002...
is investigating a possible connection between the burglars and car resellers in Fortaleza. On August 10, 2005 the Military Police
Polícia Militar
In Brazil, the Military Police are preventive state police forces responsible for maintaining public order within the States and the Federal District, and are subordinate to the state governments...
of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
arrested two men driving a car-carrying truck in Sete Lagoas
Sete Lagoas
Sete Lagoas is a city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The municipal area is 537 km² while the population was 217,506 in 2007.-Location:...
, near Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
. More than R$ 2.13 million was recovered in three pickup trucks being transported.
Five men were arrested on September 28, 2005 with about R$ 5.22 million of the money and told the police they had helped dig the tunnel. Eighteen suspects remain at large. Prosecutors have said the group tried unsuccessfully to charter a small plane days before the robbery to escape and move the money out of the country.
On October 20, 2005 the body of one of the alleged masterminds, Luis Fernando Ribeiro, 26, was found on an isolated road near Camanducaia
Camanducaia
Camanducaia is the southernmost municipality in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Inhabited by 20,212 in 2008....
, 200 miles (320 km) west of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. He had been shot seven times and had handcuff marks on his wrists. "It was definitely because of the robbery," according to a police official of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
who identified himself only as Corporal Leonino.
Ribeiro fled from Fortaleza
Fortaleza
Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. With a population close to 2.5 million , Fortaleza is the 5th largest city in Brazil. It has an area of and one of the highest demographic densities in the country...
to São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
after the robbery and was kidnapped on October 7, 2005. His family paid R$ 893,600 in ransom, but he was not freed. There were signs that police officers have been involved in the kidnapping and killing, and three of them have been arrested.
On October 28, 2005 a person linked to a former security guard involved in the burglary was arrested with R$ 85,100 and on November 10 three more suspects were arrested.
From October 22, 2005 until April 13, 2006 the police discovered six kidnappings related to this robbery and in all cases the relatives of the victims paid the ransom.
On August 1, 2006 Brazilian authorities found R$ 178,100 buried in a house in Natal
Natal, Rio Grande do Norte
-History:The northeastern tip of South America, Cabo São Roque, to the north of Natal and the closest point to Europe from Latin America, was first visited by European navigators in 1501, in the 1501–1502 Portuguese expedition led by Amerigo Vespucci, who named the spot after the saint of the day...
, Rio Grande do Norte
Rio Grande do Norte
Rio Grande do Norte is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern region of the country, occupying the northeasternmost tip of the South American continent. Because of its geographic position, Rio Grande do Norte has a strategic importance. The capital and largest city is Natal...
.
A prepaid phone card was found inside the tunnel. The Federal Police located the cell phone associated with it and had it wiretapped. On September 1, 2006 a special operation named "Operação Facção Toupeira" (Operation Mole
Mole
- Animals :* Mole or "true mole", many of the mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America* Golden moles, southern African mammals, similar to but unrelated to Talpidae moles...
Faction) was started, leading the police to arrest 43 people suspect of involvement on the heist including one of the alleged masterminds, and recovering R$ 275,100 in cash.
On October 3, 2006 the body of another suspect, Evandro José das Neves, was found at a favela
Favela
A favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
.
On January 28, 2007 Márcio Rafael Pierre, another of the alleged masterminds, was arrested in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
. On April 19, also in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, a suspect named Edson Pereira de Queiroz was arrested.
So far, authorities have recovered only about R$ 8.93 million.
See also
- Knightsbridge Security Deposit robberyKnightsbridge Security Deposit robberyThe Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery took place on 12 July 1987 in Knightsbridge, England, part of the City of Westminster in London. This robbery, the Banco Central burglary at Fortaleza, and the $900 million stolen from the Central Bank of Iraq in 2003 are said to be the largest bank...
- a robbery of similar magnitude. - Assalto ao Banco CentralAssalto ao Banco CentralAssalto ao Banco Central is a 2011 Brazilian film directed and produced by Marcos Paulo Simões, starring Milhem Cortaz, Hermilia Guedes, Eriberto leão and Lima Duarte...
- a movie based on the burglary - List of bank robbers and robberies