Armed robbers raid Brazilian Samsung factory for 40,000 devices

At a Samsung factory in Brazil armed robbers hijacked a night shift bus, subdued workers, and made off with 40,000 devices, including smartphones, tablets, and notebook computers. Police estimate the value of the goods at $36 million, though Samsung says that's too high. Other estimates place the value at $6.3 million. Roughly 20 gang members were involved in the incident, which São Paulo authorities are currently investigating. Luckily nobody was hurt in the robbery.

So how did it go down? First the armed bandits took eight employees hostage as they approached the factory in the night shift bus. They took ID cards from two, disarmed the factory guards, and isolated the rest of the Samsung employees. It took about three hours to get the goods out of the factory.

It's an awfully theatrical scene, and likely a drop in the bucket as far as losses to Samsung are concerned (especially once insurance comes into play).

Source: The Guardian, Reuters

Simon Sage