Skip to main content

Samsung factory robbed at gunpoint, $36 million in smartphones, tablets and laptops stolen

Samsung_Galaxy_S3

A group of about 20 men armed with submachine guns raided a factory in the Brazilian city of Campinas on Monday, escaping with approximately $36 million in stolen Samsung products. Among the items looted included smartphones, tablets and notebooks, although no specific models were identified. It is unknown if Samsung owned the factory, or simply stored product there. 

According to ZDNet, the covert mission happened right before the eyes of more than 200 employees performing their normal duties. The thieves entered the factory during the night shift, disguised as staff, and loaded up seven trucks with the stolen products. While some employees were held hostage during the heist, the report claims that the majority of others continued working.

The thieves removed the batteries from worker cell phones so that they could not contact the police, allowing them to carry out the operation for three hours. Brazilian authorities are now investigating the crime, and believe that it very well could be an inside job based on the thieves having access to the factory and knowledge of where valuable products were stored.

While it certainly does not justify the crime, the good news is that the thieves were not violent towards the factory workers; as a result, there were no injuries or casualties. “We are very concerned about this incident,” said Samsung in a statement. “Fortunately, nobody was hurt. We are fully cooperating with the ongoing police investigation, and we will do our best to avoid it happening again.”

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel