WILLEMSTAD – Burglars broke into the Leañez business premises at the industrial area along Seru Loraweg on Sunday, October 25, making off with an undisclosed amount of cash after forcing open a safe. Police suspect that the perpetrators may have used heavy rescue equipment previously stolen from the Curaçao Fire Department.
The burglary was discovered when company management arrived at the premises and noticed signs of forced entry. The perpetrators had removed a window to gain access to the building before making their way to an office where the company's daily cash receipts were stored.
Once inside, the burglars used heavy equipment to break open the safe and steal its contents. The exact amount of money taken has not been disclosed.
Investigators suspect that the tools used in the burglary may be the same specialized rescue equipment stolen earlier from fire trucks stationed at the Bándabou fire station.
The equipment, originally intended for life-saving operations such as freeing people trapped in vehicles following serious traffic accidents, is powerful enough to cut through or force apart heavy materials.
According to information surrounding the investigation, similar equipment is believed to have been used in several recent burglaries targeting businesses across Curaçao.
The suspected use of stolen emergency rescue tools has raised concerns because equipment intended to save lives may now be facilitating criminal activities.
The burglary at Leañez adds to a series of incidents in which criminals have targeted business premises and used heavy tools to gain access to safes and other secured areas.
Authorities have not announced any arrests in connection with the latest burglary, and it remains unclear whether investigators have established a direct link between the suspects and previous break-ins.
Police are investigating the incident and attempting to determine the identity of those responsible, as well as whether the stolen Fire Department equipment was used.
