A military-style robbery of Prosegur’s office occurred in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay's border town to Brazil, on April 24, 2017. [1] The event has been termed “the robbery of the century” and “mega-robbery” by the media, [2] [3] and is the “biggest heist in Paraguay’s history". [4]
In the night, about 50 [3] to 80 [2] heavily-armed robbers closed off the perimeter of the office with cars and, during a three-hour assault, were reportedly able to access at least one of the three vaults of the company. One police officer was killed, and several people were wounded. [1] [3] The robbers were thought to have taken between 8 million to US$40 million. [3] According to Prosegur, US$8 million were missing from one vault. [4]
Authorities have assumed that the robbers came from and returned to Brazil where an apparent staging house was found across the border in Foz do Iguaçu. A subgroup of the robbers was reported to be intercepted in Itaipulandia resulting in a gun battle during which three suspects were killed and four arrested. [5] Additional suspects were arrested in Parana. [5] Paraguayan police suspects that the First Capital Command (PCC), a criminal Brazilian gang, may be behind the robbery. [4]
Several police chiefs of Ciudad del Este were fired after the robbery by the interior minister. [2]
A military-style robbery of Prosegur’s office occurred in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay's border town to Brazil, on April 24, 2017. [1] The event has been termed “the robbery of the century” and “mega-robbery” by the media, [2] [3] and is the “biggest heist in Paraguay’s history". [4]
In the night, about 50 [3] to 80 [2] heavily-armed robbers closed off the perimeter of the office with cars and, during a three-hour assault, were reportedly able to access at least one of the three vaults of the company. One police officer was killed, and several people were wounded. [1] [3] The robbers were thought to have taken between 8 million to US$40 million. [3] According to Prosegur, US$8 million were missing from one vault. [4]
Authorities have assumed that the robbers came from and returned to Brazil where an apparent staging house was found across the border in Foz do Iguaçu. A subgroup of the robbers was reported to be intercepted in Itaipulandia resulting in a gun battle during which three suspects were killed and four arrested. [5] Additional suspects were arrested in Parana. [5] Paraguayan police suspects that the First Capital Command (PCC), a criminal Brazilian gang, may be behind the robbery. [4]
Several police chiefs of Ciudad del Este were fired after the robbery by the interior minister. [2]