Member Since: 9/7/2011
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"Gang of blondes" kidnap over 50 female shoppers!
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An unlikely band of kidnappers made up of young middle class women are being hunted by Brazilian police after holding as many as 50 wealthy shoppers at gunpoint in Sao Paulo.
Referred to as the 'gang of blondes,' the six suspects, all but one of which are blonde, allegedly follow victims to their cars and steal their valuables, credit cards and security codes.
Part of the group then holds the victim at gunpoint, while the others go on a shopping spree, splashing cash on electronics and designer clothes and withdrawing large sums of money from bank accounts.
Speaking to BBC Mundo Joaquim Dias Alves, Sao Paulo civil police anti-kidnap division chief said: 'One or two speak more than one language, and some have been educated overseas.
'They are really pretty girls, well-dressed and made up.'
Alves also said that the gang are believed to be highly organised, and have targeted as many as 50 victims in the past three years.
Police say they’ve begun breaking up the gang, arresting three suspects, including one man, but that they have continued to target unsuspecting lone women.
Kidnapping: Brazil's Sao Paulo has been blighted by the 'gang of blondes' who are said to have kidnapped as many as 50 people in the last three years
Kidnapping: Brazil's Sao Paulo has been blighted by the 'gang of blondes' who are said to have kidnapped as many as 50 people in the last three years
Instances where victims are kidnapped and robbed or held for a small ransom, are relatively common in Latin America.
In an unrelated case in November baseball star Wilson Ramos, a Washington Nationals player, was kidnapped for ransom from his home in Venezuela.
Venezuelan police commandos eventually rescued the catcher and arrested three of his abductors two days after he was kidnapped.
Ramos said he was happy and thankful to be alive, and that the final moments had been hair-raising as police and the kidnappers exchanged heavy fire.
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Gang of blondes: The six strong gang being hunted by Brazilian police after a string of gunpoint kidnappings. It is believed they are well educated and organised
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Three suspected members of a kidnap group known as the "Gang of Blondes" who are accused of snatching 54 female shoppers in Brazil have been arrested.
The group, made up of blonde, bilingual and well-educated women, have been targeting shopping centres, kidnapping victims and using their credit cards to buy luxury items.
One of those arrested is a man suspected of co-ordinating the gang, whose crime spree in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro began in 2008.
The suspected gang leaders, Wagner Goncalves and his wife Monique Awoki, were captured by police in Sao Paolo while escaping to Brazil's northeastern region.
Policeman Antonio de Olim said the couple had changed their physical appearance.
"He looks different. He has changed his hair colour. She is also different from the pictures.
"They were escaping because Sao Paulo's police were looking for them," he said.
On Friday, the husband of another suspected gang member was also arrested. He was later released.
The victims were usually followed to their cars, robbed and held captive while the gang used their credit cards for luxury purchases.
Since the beginning of the investigation, more than 21 victims have gone to the police to identify the suspects.
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kidnap gang suspect arrested
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