A Samsung manufacturing plant in Brazil reportedly lost about $36 million worth of products when 20 armed men disguised as staff raided the facility in the middle of the night.
According to several sources, the 20-man team loaded seven trucks with smartphones, laptops and tablets from the factory.
ZDNet reports the team rounded up employees from the factory, forcing them to remove the batteries from their mobile devices. With no way to call for help, the thieves reportedly allowed most of the employees to continue to work.
Many of the details surrounding the incident still remain unclear, but police speculate the heist may have been an inside job.
According to Engadget, the thieves "knew not just how to get in, but also where they would find certain valuables."
And here's where things get a little murkier. Remeber that $36 million figure from earlier? Well, Digital Trends reports police have since revised that figure, placing total losses more in the range of $6 million.
But nearly every other outlet places total losses at $36 million.
Frankly, whether it's $6 million or $36 million, 40,000 items stolen by a crew of submachine-gun-wielding criminals is still 40,000 items stolen by a crew of submachine-gun-wielding criminals. (Via Getty Images for Samsung)
Bloomberg reports police are still investigating the incident, and have yet to make any arrests. Samsung said 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."
