Armed gang attempt to rob armoured cash van in Puglia region of Italy
WATCH THE VIDEO: Motorists on an Italian highway could have been forgiven for thinking they were watching the filming of an action movie complete with explosions and gun fire.
In scenes reminiscent of the Hollywood blockbuster Heat, a gang of heavily armed robbers launched an audacious bid to rob an armoured van carrying cash in the south of Italy.
The group of masked men, brandishing high‑powered machine guns with some dressed as police officers, blocked a busy highway using a small van and a truck on Monday morning, local time.
They then set those vehicles on fire before detonating a device on the cash van which resulted in a giant explosion.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Italian military police, known as the Carabineri, soon arrived on the scene and exchanged gunfire with the group, but no one was injured despite a police car being hit by a bullet.
The robbers were forced to flee empty‑handed using stolen cars they seized from passing motorists after a foam‑based security system in the van stopped them getting any money out of it.
The gang managed to avoid police road spikes and several roadblocks as they fled, but police did stop an Alfa Romeo and arrest two men.
The remaining robbers remain at large.
“The fact that a patrol was hit by gunfire demonstrates the high level of risk to which our officers are exposed daily,” Puglia Regional Secretary General of the Un Arma Association Nicola Magno said.
“It is only thanks to the professionalism, composure, and sense of duty of our colleagues that today we are not talking about a tragedy.”
The suspects are from the Foggia region which is notorious for gangs like these targeting vehicles in brazen heists.
