BENGALURU: Armed men posing as officials from India’s central bank robbed a cash-transport vehicle carrying 70 million rupees ($800,000; £600,000) in the southern state of Karnataka, triggering a major police operation across Bengaluru.
The heist took place on Wednesday afternoon in the heart of the city. According to Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, six men traveling in an SUV intercepted a secure cash van that was transporting money between bank branches.
The vehicle was staffed by a driver, a cash custodian, and two armed security guards. Singh told the BBC that the gang identified themselves as Reserve Bank of India officials and claimed they were checking whether the team had appropriate documents to transport such a large amount of cash.
Police say the men ordered the cash custodian and guards to leave their weapons inside the van and get into the SUV, while the driver was instructed to continue driving the vehicle carrying the money. The SUV followed for several kilometres before the gang forced the driver out, released the custodian and guards from their vehicle, and transferred the cash at gunpoint before fleeing.
Investigators say there was limited CCTV coverage in the area, and it is unclear whether the men used multiple vehicles during the operation. The cash-transport company has filed a formal police complaint.
A police official told the BBC, on condition of anonymity, that the SUV used in the robbery carried a fake number plate and a sticker reading “Government of India”. Officers are also examining whether company employees may have been complicit.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the SUV had been recovered. However, Home Minister G Parameshwara cautioned that the suspects may have switched vehicles.
“It was verified that they changed vehicles and moved the money,”
he told reporters, adding that he was confident the case would be solved soon, as with other recent high-profile robberies.
In May, 59kg of gold worth 532.6 million rupees was stolen from a bank in Vijayapura district using a duplicate locker key. Police have since recovered 39kg of gold and arrested 15 suspects, including two former employees.
