A Brazilian police raid to recover stolen cars and cargo came up with a more interesting find: two war tanks.
Police in Brazil's biggest city said on Tuesday that the engineless tanks were found inside a warehouse in Sacoma, a low-income district in Sao Paulo. Police also confiscated 500 television sets, car body parts and a recently stolen truck.
"It is unusual, to say the least, that police officers searching for stolen goods and cars, instead find two tanks," Police Lieutenant Andrei do Carmo told the Globo TV network. The army said in a statement the two tanks found on Monday had been auctioned off "without weapons or engines because they no longer had any use."
The statement said the tanks had been auctioned by Engesa, the Brazilian armoured vehicle manufacturer.
"We are investigating who placed the winning bid," it said
The statement did not say what sort of tanks they were or how old or operable they might be. Images published by local media show a treaded vehicle with five road wheels on each side. Phone calls to Engesa went unanswered.