The $70 million Brazil bank heist - Witness History podcast, BBC World Service

In 2005, Brazil was shaken by one of the largest bank robberies in world history - a meticulously engineered heist involving an 80-metre tunnel, months of secret digging, and a fake landscaping company called “Synthetic Grass.” Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM In this episode of Witness History, federal police chief Antonio Celso Dos Santos recounts how detectives uncovered the elaborate plot, identified the gang members, and attempted to recover the millions stolen from the Central Bank of Fortaleza. It was a case involving hundreds of suspects, specialist diggers, false identities, and a tunnel reinforced with wood, electric lighting and even air-conditioning. But it was also a story of violence, kidnapping, and the high personal cost of participating in organised crime. This video was visualised by 1UpMedia, with audio from BBC. 1UpMedia uses Gen-AI tools to assist in scene creation. All AI usage strictly follows BBC’s Guidance on the Use of Artificial Intelligence: https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/reports/policies/approach-to-ai/ To learn how 1UpMedia uses AI responsibly, visit: https://www.1upmedia.sg/ethics 00:00 Introduction 01:10 The “Synthetic Grass” company 02:00 Discovery of the tunnel heist 03:15 How the gang broke in 04:40 Connection to “Synthetic Grass” 05:30 Breakthrough phone card 06:00 Breakthrough airport 06:40 Identifying the criminals 07:30 Violence, kidnapping and murder 08:15 Was the heist worth It? Click to watch more episodes of Witness History 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4cfahLaE406BWHwYkYHqB57 ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #brazil #heist #bankheist #bankrobbery