A gang of armed men attacked three banks in the center of Aratuba, Brazil, in the early hours of Monday, local time. The bank robbers tied hostages to the tops of their cars after the raid in Aratuba, in southern Brazil, while police reported that at least three people were killed, including one suspect.
Officials stated that more than 50 individuals participated in the heists, using burning vehicles to block roads and planting explosives throughout the city. Aratuba's mayor, Delador Borges, told "Band" TV that "the police struggled to intervene." He added, "The police cannot continue the assault, and they cannot confront the gangs because there are too many lives at stake," noting that he "did not know if the robbers had released the hostages yet, but security forces regained control of the city center."
Details of the incident reveal that after the robbery, the gang took several hostages and besieged the local military police station. Local media reported that gang members also closed off the main roads leading to the city by setting fire to vehicles.
Television journalist Yuri Macri shared a video he claimed showed two getaway cars, one with a person tied to the roof and another on the hood, while on the hood of the other car, another tied person was also visible. Surveillance footage shared by another user on Twitter showed several cars moving through the city, some with people bound by blankets, while another individual could be seen raising their hands and standing through a sunroof.
Many residents reported hearing gunfire and even explosions. The police confirmed the death of one suspect and two others but did not provide further details on how they died, mentioning three additional injuries and the arrest of suspects.
Notably, the news site "G1" reported that "the gang used drones to monitor police movements from the air."
