HomeNewsBriefHit and Run Bank Robbers Plague Small Town Brazil
BRIEF

Hit and Run Bank Robbers Plague Small Town Brazil

BRAZIL / 4 MAR 2014 BY JAMES BARGENT EN

Gangs in Brazil are launching highly coordinated hit and run attacks on small-town banks, demonstrating new levels of organization and sophistication.

The modus operandi goes something like this: a group heavily armed with guns and explosives, all dressed in black with their faces covered, descend on small towns selected for their low numbers of police and geographical isolation, reported Estadao.

On arrival, one faction of the gang seals off access to the town with barricades and keeps police pinned down with gunfire. Meanwhile, the other faction targets banks, stealing from ATM machines and vaults using explosives stolen from quarries and construction sites. The raids usually last less than half an hour, meaning by the time police have sought out reinforcements, the gang has already left town.

There have been numerous killings related to the gangs, including a botched robbery in Itamonte in the state of Minas Gerais last week, which saw ten people killed -- nine gang members and one hostage.

Gangs involved in the crime, which is known as "New Cangaco," after the 19th century Cangaco "social bandits," appear to be proliferating. Cases have now been registered in São Paulo and the neighboring states of Minas Gerais and Parana, the western states of Acre and Rondonia, and in the northeastern states of Maranhão and Ceara.

Investigators in São Paulo told Estadao the proceeds from some of these attacks help fund prison gang turned transnational drug traffickers, the First Capital Command (PCC).

InSight Crime Analysis

The planning, equipment and coordination required to carry off heists such as these demonstrate a level of sophistication and operational capacity that surpasses your standard bank robbery.

SEE ALSO: Brazil News and Profiles

While the fact that robberies have been spreading through neighboring states suggests these gangs are willing to travel in the search of suitable targets. The fact that they are now surfacing in geographically distinct regions may be indicative of diverse criminal groups learning from the tactics of others.

Reports suggest the cells usually consist of no more than 30 people, and the majority would appear not to be acting on the orders of any larger organized crime groups. However, if as suggested by the São Paulo investigators, the PCC is involved, this would be a cause for concern, as it would not only provide them with another source of revenue but also access to well-armed, violent gangs capable of carrying out coordinated operations across the country.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Tags

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

BRAZIL / 24 FEB 2022

Law enforcement in Latin America and Europe have disrupted a cocaine smuggling network that reached from Bolivia to Dubai, resulting…

BRAZIL / 2 NOV 2021

Counterfeit cigarettes may appear harmless, but the illicit tobacco trade often spurs other criminal activities – with the latest case…

BRAZIL / 28 JUN 2022

Prosecutors, mayors, prison directors, relatives of officials - are assassinations here to stay in Paraguay?…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…