14 DAY TRIAL // Those familiar with Fernando Meirelles movie “City of God” know that Brazil can be a violent place riddled with thieves and merciless street crime. But the most recent events in the country show us that crime can go about without any blood-shed.
As the 2014 FIFA World Cup unfolds in Brazil, bandits have gone on a frenzy last Sunday and raided a Samsung Electronics factory located near one of the country’s metropolis, Sao Paolo.
According to Reuters, the events were quite sudden. The criminals were armed and held a number of workers hostage while they were proceeding to load up truckloads of smartphones, tablets and laptops produced by the iconic company.
A spokesperson for Samsung revealed the huge extent of the loss, explaining the robbers took off with seven trucks which have all been packed full of more than 40,000 Samsung products. And the criminal band managed to do this in just four hours.
You might be curious to find out how these daring thieves managed to get away with not one, but seven trucks of Samsung gear. The scenario outlined by the police reveals a pretty elaborate scheme.
The robbers intercepted a shuttle carrying employees working the night shift to the factory. Seven members of the band took over the vehicle, which transported eight people in total.
Most of the workers onboard were set free, but two others weren't so lucky. They had to walk with the assailants who were by then disguised as workers, down to the factory.
Once inside the facility, the band proceeded to gather the employees currently present at the location. Some of them were held hostage, but others were allowed to continue working, after their cell phone batteries were removed, so they could not contact the exterior.
After getting rid of anybody who could stand in their way and stop the wrongdoing, the attackers brought the trucks near the location, so they could start the loading proceedings.
According to the local media, factory security cameras managed to film the wrongdoers dressed in black with dark hoods over their heads, roaming the factory’s halls pushing crates of goods towards their trucks.
But the most important aspect is that no one got hurt in the assault, albeit the gang being fully armed. This aspect was probably more than enough to keep the 100 employees working in the factory under control.
This is a major loss for Samsung business in the country, but we can’t help but notice it was remarkably easy for the thieves to enter the factory. On top of everything, the bandits were said to be quite polite, and when they intercepted workers, they just told them to remain calm and took their cellphone batteries. Were they showing compassion to their fellow workers?
We're asking this because there a possibility the thieves had an insider working alongside them. This is a scenario the police are currently taking into consideration, but the investigation is still under way. It will also be interesting to see whether law enforcement can retrieve any of the stolen goods or not.