Band of heavily armed thieves raids small Brazilian city
ABC News
A group of criminals with high-powered rifles have stormed a small city in Brazil’s southern Parana state, attempting a brazen robbery and engaging police in a shootout
RIO DE JANEIRO -- A group of criminals with high-powered rifles stormed a city in Brazil's southern Parana state late Sunday night, attempting a brazen robbery and engaging police in a shootout.
Local media reported that the roughly 30 criminals were targeting an armored vehicle transport company, and several people were injured. Parana state's security secretariat didn't immediately answer an emailed request for comment nor respond to phone calls.
“Our security forces are hunting those bandits to give a quick response to the population,” Gov. Ratinho Junior said in a Facebook post on Monday morning.
Guarapuava, a city of 184,000 people, is about halfway between state capital Curitiba and the triple border of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. The robbers attacked a police battalion and set a large fire at its gate in an apparent effort to prevent security forces from responding.
