A loot of 21 million dollars and a perfect escape: the robbery of the century in Chile

When we think of momentous robberies that changed the way the police operate, security measures and the social perception of crime, striking cases come to mind with brilliant criminals, meticulously executed plans or loot of very high value.

Chili was a victim of what is considered “the robbery of the century” September 18, 2017day of the National Holidays and a moment of national celebration for independence. A gang of criminals passed all the controls of a cash truck company and took 21 million dollars.

The robbery of the Chilean century

With his covered facesand without leaving many traces, a group of criminals met inside the company flow transport Esertval Ltda., located on Domingo Santa María 1846 street, in the commune of Independencein Santiago, to infiltrate the building and execute one of the most important robberies in Chile.

During the day on September 18, 2017, around 11:30 p.m.one of the guards who had to protect the premises went out to buy cigarettes without his service weapon. When he returned from the walk he was approached by the criminal gang, who also threatened him with rifles and forced them to open the doors of the place. Subsequently He was handcuffed along with his companions security.

The venue was a place with a lot of securityso there was no shortage of alarms and alerts. However, it is believed that the thieves They cut a fiber optic cable that sent a signal to all these devices, which violated all protections. Thus, using a welding technique called oxyfuel, the gang entered the main vault and took 21 million dollars. Around 3:14 a.m., the group had escaped in four cars without license plates.

What happened to the criminals

After three years of researchthe arrest of 13 people involved in the “Robbery of the Century” on December 1, 2020. In an operation deployed in Santiago and Valparaíso, 20 simultaneous raidsseizing valuable items, vehicles and properties acquired with the loot. Among those detained were two security guards.

Although 12 of those initially detained were released, the Santiago Court of Appeals He ordered his recapture days later. On December 26, the police captured one of the leaders of the robbery, Luis Mosqueraknown as the “Nova”, during a health check in Santiago. Upon confirming his background, it was discovered that he had an active arrest warrant for “robbery with violence“. After this arrest, it was revealed that the group had made extensive purchases, including 100 cars and around 37 propertieswith the stolen money.

Among the properties seized were high value land in several communes of Santiago. In addition, wads of cash and weapons were discovered. Four years after the robbery, participants in the robbery continue to be arrested, such as the recent case of Mauricio Villagra Cancinocaptured during preventive services, who had a current arrest warrant for “robbery with violence” and should have been in preventive detention.