http://www.euronews.com/2017/04/25/robbery-of-the-century-in-paraguay
"Robbery of the century" in Paraguay
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About 60 armed men attacked the headquarters of security company Prosegur in the Paraguayan town of Ciudad del Este close to the Brazilian border.
They used explosives and high-powered rifles to break into the building and, afterwards, to make their escape.
The Prosegur vault can hold up to $40 million in cash, but it is not yet clear how much of that the gang made away with.
In “Spectacular Heist” Dozens Of Heavily-Armed Robbers Steal $40 Million From Paraguay Vault https://t.co/N4Ny4uuv4J #paraguay #Prosegur
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violent assault
Local people spoke of their terror during the robbery. One, Alejandro Anisim, said:
“In a moment we heard non-stop banging for an hour, during that time there were five grenades, the five were here in the house and we hid up top in my daughter’s room, they are not here. I called the police and they told me not to come out, that they (robbers) are inside and we heard shouting in Portuguese in the street. I don’t know what they said and then they ran to a parked vehicle on the corner and got in.”
The thieves left a trail of destruction as they escaped. Video footage shows the complete destruction of the company’s HQ, as well as damage to several neighbouring homes.
Cars were set alight as the criminals fled, and a policeman is said to have died.
official response
Officials have dubbed what happened as “the robbery of the century”. Antonio Gamarra, a retired Police Commissioner said:
“This [robbery] is the largest yet and given the [explosive] devices, the number of vehicles used, the number of people and weapons, it is the biggest one.”
There has been no suggestion that Prosegur was at fault. Marcelo Saldivar, the Prosecutor, said:
“Clearly this attack had been planned but in theory the company and the protocols were in order.”
Brazilian link?
Witnesses have said that the attackers spoke Brazilian, leading to reports that they were members of a gang from just over the notoriously porous border.
Police from both countries are reported to have coordinated efforts in an attempt to apprehend those responsible. Vehicles and weapons have been seized and there have been some reports of exchanged gunfire.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/25/americas/paraguay-vault-robbery/
'Robbery of the century': Brazen heist erupts into gun battles in Paraguay and Brazil
By Nicole Chavez, CNN
Updated 0822 GMT (1622 HKT) April 25, 2017
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Ciudad del Este
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Story highlights
Robbers storm security firm with grenades, large caliber weapons and dynamite
1 killed, 4 injured in Paraguay; 3 suspects killed in Brazil
(CNN)Dozens of gunmen detonated explosives and set vehicles on fire as they stormed a private security firm in Paraguay, taking millions of dollars and sparking a violent police chase into Brazil.
More than 50 people carrying large caliber weapons, dynamite and caltrops took part in what authorities are calling the "robbery of the century."
The group made off with money from several vaults inside Prosegur, a private security firm in Ciudad del Este, police said.
In initial reports, police said the vaults were able to store up to $40 million but neither authorities nor the firm confirmed the sum that was taken.
Ciudad del Este is Paraguay's second-largest city and is along the border with Brazil and Argentina.
Authorities believe the robbers were members of Primer Comando de la Capital, one of the largest criminal organizations in Brazil.
The offices of a private security firm in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay were robbed on April 24
<img alt="The offices of a private security firm in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay were robbed on April 24" class="media__image" src="//i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170425020621-02-paraguay-vault-robbery-large-169.jpg">
The offices of a private security firm in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay were robbed on April 24
A police officer was killed during Monday's shootout that started around midnight (local time) and lasted for about two hours. Another officer and three bystanders were injured and taken to local hospitals, police said.
Grenades were set off and more than a dozen vehicles were set on fire as the robbery took place. Police said officers engaged in a gun battle with snipers and others armed with large caliber weapons, dynamite and caltrops.
In a building next to the security firm, Alejandro Anisimoff and his family ran and hid when the robbers broke into their home.
"We heard non-stop turmoil for an hour. Within that hour, five grenades blew off here. We hid upstairs in one of the bedrooms," Anisimoff, whose home is in the building next to the firm, told CNN en Español.
Leaving mass destruction behind them as they fled police, the robbers were able to cross the border into Brazil. A small group was intercepted by Brazilian police in a region called Itaipulandia, about 50 miles from Ciudad del Este, officials said.
Three suspects were killed and four arrested during the confrontation, said a spokesperson with Paraguay's Interior Ministry in a news release.
The building had been under the police radar before, Richard Vera, chief of the Ciudad del Este police homicide department told Argentina's El Pais newspaper.
In 2015, they found an L-shaped tunnel connecting the building to a nearby house.
CNN en Español's Sanie Lopez Garelli contributed to this report.
