Crime is bad. You know this. I know this. We all know this.

But some crimes appear less bad than others. For example, crimes where people are hurt tend to be considered worse than crimes where you can’t point to someone and say “They’re the victim”.

On top of that, the public tend to be a bit more forgiving if the crime has a bit of a story to it.

This is why we watch movies where the protagonists are criminals (like Ocean’s 11 or the Thomas Crown Affair) and end up rooting for the law breakers.

It’s also why stories like this are ‘news worthy’.

Staff who arrived for work at a branch of the Central Bank in the northeastern state of Ceara on Monday morning were rather surprised to discover that an estimated six to ten ne’er-do-wells had spent three months tunnelling 260ft from a rented house, had broken through the reinforced floor of the vault and made off with no less than 156 million reais or $68m or ?38m or, if you prefer, ?55m.

People injured: 0
Effort needed: Lots
Time taken: Lots

Checks all the boxes for an old fashioned ‘crime caper’ doesn’t it? Personally, I think they were inspired by Short Circuit 2, although someone in the office thinks that The Ladykillers is more likely.

Either way, it’s all entertaining. Until, obviously, the bank has to get the money back from somewhere and everybody ends up paying because of higher insurance costs. But that never happens in the movies, does it?