Masked gunmen halted traffic on an Italian highway Monday when they blew up an armored cash transport vehicle in a Hollywood-style robbery caught on camera by shocked motorists.
The gang attacked the armored truck on State Road 613 between Brindisi and Lecce in Italy’s Puglia region. They arrived in a blue Alfa Romeo fitted with a flashing blue beacon on the roof to impersonate police vehicles and stopped the armored van belonging to Battistolli, an armored car company.
The robbers emerged wearing masks and black-and-white coveralls. They used an explosive charge that blew open the van’s roof to get access, sending debris flying through the air and across lanes of traffic on the opposite side of the highway.
Italian military police, known as the Carabinieri, arrived quickly and reportedly engaged in a firefight with the suspects. One police vehicle took a bullet during the exchange.
No injuries were reported from either the shootout or the explosion.
Italian security forces arrested two suspects in the Lecce area later Monday. The men were captured wearing masks but were unarmed at the time.
Reports have conflicting information on how much the thieves successfully stole, if any. While some outlets reported they got away with “a significant haul,” photos from the scene show the armored compartment inside the van remained mostly intact.
The two arrested suspects are believed to be connected to the Italian mafia. A massive manhunt continues for the remaining perpetrators.
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