Brazil’s Biggest Heist and the Global Crime Group Behind It

In the late hours of Nov. 30, 2020, the city of Criciúma in southern Brazil became the site of one of the most highly organized and violent bank robberies in the country’s history. A heavily armed group of more than 30 individuals blocked roads, set vehicles on fire and used hostages as human shields as they looted a branch of Banco do Brasil, a regional treasury that had just received a large delivery of cash. In the end, close to $23 million was stolen.

The robbery lasted almost two hours and brought the city to a standstill. Explosives were used, snipers were deployed and gunfire echoed through the streets. At the center of the heist was South America’s most dangerous gang, the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), in what’s come to be known as Brazil’s “Night of Terror.” On the premiere episode of a new season of Bloomberg Investigates, we show how this brazen robbery became a potent illustration of the power and sophistication behind a global criminal organization you’ve probably never heard of.