Ten hostages are strapped to getaway cars as human shields as 50 criminals armed with assault rifles and bombs raid EVERY bank in Brazilian city centre
- Gang of up to 50 armed robbers struck city of Aracatuba, Brazil, early Monday
- Raiders surrounded police headquarters, blocked roads to stop reinforcements arriving, then broke into every bank in the city centre, Brazilian media reported
- They then took at least 10 civilians hostage and strapped them to the outside of their getaway vehicles as human shields
- Robbers also scattered bombs through the streets to cover their escape route
Civilian hostages were strapped to the outside of getaway cars during a huge bank raid by dozens of heavily armed robbers in southern Brazil today.
Up to 50 robbers armed with machine guns, bombs and drones are thought to have raided every bank in the centre of Araçatuba city starting around midnight.
Raiders attacked local police and blocked roads into the city using burned-out cars to stop reinforcements arriving, before kidnapping locals to use as human shields.
Video shows how gunmen walked lines of hostages through the streets before strapping them to the roofs and bonnets of their cars as they made their escape.
Civilian hostages are strapped to the roof and bonnet of a getaway car used during a huge raid on two banks in the city of Araçatuba, near to the Brazilian capital of Sao Paulo
A civilian hostage strapped to the bonnet of a getaway car is driven through the streets of Araçatuba following a huge raid by dozens of gunmen
A convoy of cars with multiple people strapped to their bonnets and poking out their sun roofs turns around in the street as the bank robbers flee
The entire city has since been placed on lockdown with police warning that bombs have been scattered through the streets and residents should stay inside.
One photo shows what appears to be a sophisticated bomb left in the street with a proximity sensor attached – meaning it will detonate if anybody gets too close.
The raid began when the robbers attacked the headquarters of the local military police, trapping officers inside.
Trucks were then stolen and burned, with the wrecks used to block highways into the city to stop police reinforcements arriving from elsewhere.
Raiders then struck a branch of the Banco do Brasil and Banco Safra.
Gunshots were reported across the city by terrified residents who filmed the astonishing raid from their windows.
At least four people were injured in the shooting, according to the Folha de Sao Paulo site, which did not give any indication of their condition.
It is not yet clear exactly how much money the robbers managed to steal, while the exact number of hostages is also unknown.
One piece of footage showed at least four people being marched through the streets by two gunmen, at least one of whom was firing shots into the air.
Another, taken from a CCTV camera, shows a convoy of cars – believed to be used by the raiders – turning around in the road.
At least ten hostages can be seen strapped to the outside of the vehicles.
Some are left laying on the bonnets, one is strapped to the roof, while others emerge from sunroofs with their hands raised.
A line of hostages (right) is marched through the street by two gunmen wearing black (visible centre left and top) during the overnight raid in Brazil
Bombs were left in the streets to cover the tracks of the retreating gunmen, with what appears to be proximity sensors attached meaning they explode if anyone gets too close