Viswa Vanapalli
In a complex investigation that lasted many years, over 30 suspects were identified as being part of the Central Bank heist in Brazil. The culprits dug an underground tunnel to the vault and stole millions of dollars in a brazen attempt. Netflix’s ‘Great Robbery of Brazil’s Central Bank’ is a three-part docuseries that chronicles how the authorities zeroed in on the robbers through old-fashioned police work. Raimundo Laurindo Neto, a relative of one of the masterminds, Alemão, was captured more than a decade after the heist. So, let’s find out more about him then, shall we?
Who is Raimundo Laurindo Neto?
The August 2005 heist of Central Bank in Fortaleza in Ceará, Brazil, was one of the most notorious robberies of all time. After renting a house about a block away from the bank, the robbers dug a tunnel about four meters deep and 70 centimeters wide. It went from one of the bedrooms in the residence to the vault door. The authorities later learned that the robbers used chainsaws, drills, and pliers instead of explosives to keep the noise to a minimum.
As the authorities continued investigating the case, they were tipped off to a similar crime in Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. As part of an operation called Fação Toupeira, the authorities thwarted bank robberies in Porto Alegre and Alagoas, Brazil. As per the show, a similar tunnel system was being used, and Raimundo was arrested with more than twenty other people. Earlier, they had already identified Raimundo by following his girlfriend, Liduina.
However, Raimundo escaped police custody and stayed a fugitive from the law for more than a decade. In the meantime, the authorities zeroed in on the other suspects, including Alemão, Moises Teixeira da Silva, and identified people like Fernandinho and Paulo Sergio De Souza. In the end, more than 100 defendants were convicted for their involvement in the heist at various stages and were sentenced to varying terms in prison.
Where is Raimundo Laurindo Neto Now?
Raimundo was eventually arrested in September 2018 in Ceará. As per the show, he testified about how he and his partner hid the bags of money from the Central Bank heist on the side of a road about 12 miles from the crime scene. While Raimundo was sentenced to 170 years in prison for theft, conspiracy, and money laundering, it was later reduced to 17 years. In September 2021, he was acquitted of the charges of being part of a criminal organization and false imprisonment in an unrelated case. It seems like Raimundo is serving his sentence at a correctional facility in Brazil. In the past, he was also investigated for drug trafficking.
Read More: Where Are Antonio Jucival Alves (Alemao) and Moises Teixeira da Silva Now?
