Masked Gunmen Shut Down Highway, Blow the Doors off an Armored Car in Brazen Heist Attempt
Approximately half a dozen masked robbers armed with AK-47s and shotguns blew up an armored car on a highway during a brazen heist attempt on Monday. The incident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. on a highway connecting Brindisi and Lecce in southern Italy’s Puglia region.
The robbery attempt of a BTV armored cash-in-transit van began when the group of masked gunmen set a van and a truck on fire, blocking the roadway. According to the owner, someone stole the van from a rental company called Over Rent “about a week ago.”
The masked gunmen impersonated police to pull over the armored van
The robbers then impersonated police by pulling up in a blue Alfa Romeo with flashing lights to stop the armored van, according to Sky TG24.
In video of the attempted heist, viewers can see the robbers emerging from vehicles parked around the armored van. Some held guns and hid behind cars, while others approached the van.
Shortly thereafter, an explosion blows the van’s back doors and roof off. That complete, several of the men then unloaded the van’s contents into a waiting car.
Colonel Cristian Marello, head of the Carabinieri’s Lecce division, said the robbers didn’t get away with any money.
“The money transported in the armored van was not stolen because after the explosion, the system’s Spumablock [a foam-based security system activated by remote control] came into action,” he said, according to The Times.
As the robbers attempted to make their getaway, police pursued them under a rain of gunfire. One photograph showed a police cruiser with a bullet hole in its windshield near the driver’s seat.
Another local media report stated the criminals allegedly carjacked several passing motorists. Incredibly, reports indicated that no officers or civilians were injured.
Police arrested two of the robbery suspects after a car and foot chase
After abandoning the Alfa Romeo, police arrested two of the men after they fled on foot through a field. They were charged with suspicion of attempted murder, aggravated robbery, carrying war weapons and explosives, and resisting public officials.
Police reportedly found a second vehicle, a Jeep, near the arrest scene. Marello stated that police “believe eight people participated in the assault.” They were still searching for the other accomplices.
“Once again, the Carabinieri found themselves on the front lines of an extremely violent and organized criminal act,” said Nicola Magno, Puglia regional secretary general of the Un Arma association. “The fact that a patrol was hit by gunfire demonstrates the high level of risk to which our officers are exposed on a daily basis.”
Police officials did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on the heist attempt.
