ROME - Unknown assailants made off with about €400,000 (RM1.9 million) in a brazen robbery targeting a cash-in-transit vehicle on an Italian motorway on Monday, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
Authorities said the thieves brought traffic to a standstill by blocking the road with vehicles before launching a rapid attack on the van.
They also deployed smoke bombs, scattered spikes to puncture tyres and opened fire on the armoured transporter.
While the driver and guards were still inside, the assailants used an explosive device to open the vehicle and its safe, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. They then fled with the cash.
The robbery took place early in the morning on a motorway near Ortona in Italy’s central Abruzzo region.
Initial findings showed that no one was injured in the robbery, although two people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The affected section of the motorway was temporarily closed, causing traffic delays.
Police launched a large-scale manhunt, though the number of perpetrators involved in the robbery was initially unclear. They are believed to be travelling in high-powered escape vehicles, ANSA reported. -BERNAMA-dpa