Netflix is back with a true-crime documentary titled Bank Robbers: The Last Great Robbery, which delves into the infamous 2006 Buenos Aires bank heist. According to the documentary’s official summary on Netflix:
“Through honest interviews, the culprits of Argentina’s most notorious bank describe how — and why — the radical 2006 operation was carried out.”
A bunch of crooks looted a bank in Argentina’s Buenos Aires in January 2006 and took more than 20 people hostage. But there’s more to the tale. Let’s take a look at four important facts concerning the historic Buenos Aires bank robbery before the documentary’s release on Wednesday.
Four pivotal events in the Buenos Aires bank robbery, from planning to capture
1) Constructing the tunnel
According to Oxygen Media, the perpetrators had been plotting the Buenos Aires bank theft for two years. The whole theft was planned by a guy called Fernando Araujo, who devised the plan to dig a tunnel inside the bank. According to reports, the tunnel for the theft took up a significant amount of planning and funding. According to Oxygen Media, the tunnel was constructed by Sebastián Garca Bolster.
2) A scheme to fool the police.
According to Oxygen Media, some time before the crime, a guy called Julián Zalloecheverra was approached by his buddy Beto de la Torre about joining the famed Super Bandas gang of bank robbers. The aim was for the group to steal the Banco Rio branch in Argentina. The gang planned to fool the cops by breaking into the bank via the front entrance and keeping people captive inside while other members entered the tunnel they’d created to take money and other valuables from the bank’s safe deposits.
3) The implementation
The gang carried out their plan, with some members entering with fake guns and holding individuals hostage in order to divert police attention away from the true heist taking place in the basement. According to Oxygen Media, the group determined to perform the crime in two hours. The burglars departed the tunnel after stealing money, jewelry, and other valuables, while Julián Zalloecheverra waited outside with a car for the group to leave.
The team allegedly took about $20 million and left a message that said (via Oxygen):
“Without weapons or grudges, it’s simply money, not love,” says one.
The police launched their investigation into the Buenos Aires bank theft but were unable to provide any credible leads for many weeks.
4) The Seize
In a cruelly ironic twist, Beto de la Torre was apprehended with his girlfriend a month after the crime. According to GQ, Torre’s wife, who discovered Torre was cheating on her, told authorities about his involvement in the Buenos Aires bank theft. According to GQ, Torre’s wife identified numerous more members of the group. Araujo, Bolster, Luis Mario Vitette, Zalloecheverra, and Beto were later apprehended by authorities. Two additional people were allegedly engaged in the crime but were never prosecuted, and the money taken was never recovered by the police. Bank Robbers: The Last Great Heist will be available on Netflix on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.
Episode 2 is here! Tune in to hear about how the thieves disappeared with the loot – and for a mysterious clue they left behind… 💰😯 https://t.co/oYGBcDXQ7a pic.twitter.com/aBalpUzh1a
— Duolingo (@duolingo) October 29, 2020