Posted on: December 30, 2022, 08:17h. 

Last updated on: December 30, 2022, 01:38h.

As a perfect example of why poorly-conceived plans produce poor results, a trio of would-be thieves in Brazil attempted to rob a lottery shop, only to have their plan fall apart during the escape. Fortunately, their botched escape was caught on film to offer viewers some comic relief. But the perpetrators are still at large.

Lottery shop robbery
Locals take advantage of a botched lottery shop robbery in Brazil. Thieves dropped the money as they tried to escape. (Image: Correio Do Para)

As the trio quickly exited the shop in the city of Belém in Para, the thief holding the bag of loot dropped it. Its contents spilled out all over the road, leading to a horde of bystanders swarming in to claim part of the free money.

The uncoordinated crooks were then either too spooked or too inept to take charge of the situation. They hopped on a single moped and rode away.

Making the Three Stooges Proud

The theft occurred at a lottery agency located inside a supermarket in Belém’s Marambaia neighborhood. An investigation has been underway since the master heist took place just before Christmas. But the police aren’t saying how much money may have been lost.

A video circulating on social media shows residents of Belém in the middle of the street collecting money that the robbers lost during the escape. In the recording, it’s possible to see people hastily scrambling in an attempt to gather as much cash as they could. In a matter of seconds, all of the money disappeared from the streets.

One person tweeted, in Portuguese, “It’s raining money in Belém! After robbing a lottery shop in the Marambaia neighborhood, suspects let money fall to the ground, and of course, the population took advantage of the situation.”

Police are still working to solve the attempted robbery, although they haven’t said if they have any solid leads. The videos should help, although three people riding a moped in Brazil isn’t much of a clue.

A somewhat similar situation played out recently in Chile. This past October, thieves attacked a gambling hall before trying to escape in a blue sedan. In this case, though, the police were immediately on their tail.

In an effort to block the chase, the thieves began tossing the money from the vehicle. That was only partially successful in slowing down law enforcement, which eventually trapped the car and arrested six people.

Marambaia Having a Bad Month

December was a tough month for businesses in Marambaia, with thieves not even stopping to respect Brazil’s place in the World Cup. Criminals targeted a bar on December 2, just as Brazil was taking on Cameroon in their failed bid to win the World Cup.

Security camera footage shows the moment when two armed robbers steal jewelry, cell phones, and money from customers at the establishment. One of the thieves even stuck a gun in a customer’s face. He then demanded that the victim remove the Brazilian national team shirt he was wearing.

The criminals stole a motorcycle to make their escape. But the vehicle was abandoned minutes later on a nearby street. The police are still looking for the suspects.