Brazilian robbers strap hostages to getaway cars in Araçatuba bank heist that leaves three dead

Social media vision shows bank robbers in Brazil escape with hostages on their getaway cars.

A daring and bloody heist has shut down streets in the Brazilian city of Araçatuba, with a gang of armed robbers targeting banks, exchanging gunfire with police and escaping in cars covered with human shields.

After ransacking two bank branches, the criminals drove away with hostages clinging to their cars to deter police from firing at the getaway convoy.

Video shot from an apartment building in central Araçatuba, not far from the banks targeted, showed two cars driving slowly with people either clinging or tied to the outside of the vehicles.

Other video shared on social media showed black-clad men marching hostages down the same street.

Hostages were filmed being marched down the street by their captors. (Twitter: @JuliotiLucas)

At least three people were killed in the clashes, two of them civilians, local authorities said.

Preliminary information suggested one was a local businessman who went to the location to film the attack and the other was a delivery worker.

The third person killed was a suspect, found in his car.

Six people were injured, including one passerby who had his leg amputated after an explosion.

Bank robbers used booby traps used to slow down police

The coordinated robbery involved dozens of criminals and at least 10 cars.

Brazil's military police said the attackers burned cars and left explosive booby traps in their wake to impede police responses.

The statement said the group used a drone to monitor the city streets.

Colonel Arena said that three suspects had been arrested and that federal police were taking over investigations.

Large-scale bank heists have become more frequent in Brazil in recent years, with hostages often used as human shields.

Araçatuba was itself the site of a similar attack, in 2017.

Araçatuba Mayor Dilador Borges said earlier on Monday that authorities believe undetonated explosives remain in some areas of the city centre, and called on residents to remain in their homes.

Local media reported that branches belonging to state banks Caixa Federal and Banco do Brasil were the ones targeted.

In a response to a request for comment, Caixa said it only provided information about crimes to police.

Banco do Brasil said it was working with authorities, and that it would not disclose the amount of money stolen in robberies.

ABC/wires