Police in the southern Indian state of Karnataka have launched a major manhunt after six armed men posing as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials stole 70 million rupees ($800,000 USD) from a cash transport van in broad daylight.
The dramatic robbery unfolded on Wednesday afternoon in the centre of Bengaluru, India’s tech capital, as the vehicle was moving cash between bank branches. According to Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, the van was staffed by a driver, a cash custodian and two armed guards when the gang intercepted it.
The robbers, travelling in an SUV with a fake number plate and a “Government of India” sticker, told the van’s occupants they were RBI officials conducting a document verification. Under the pretext of an inspection, they instructed the cash custodian and guards to leave their weapons behind and step into the SUV. The driver was ordered to continue driving the cash van while the gang followed close behind.
After travelling several kilometres, the gang forced the driver out of the van, released the guards and custodian from their vehicle, and then transferred the money at gunpoint before fleeing. Police say the area had limited CCTV coverage and suspect that the robbers may have switched vehicles during the escape.
A police complaint has been filed by the cash transportation company, and investigators are also examining whether any employees may have been involved in the meticulously planned heist.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed that police have recovered the SUV used in the operation. However, Home Minister G. Parameshwara noted that it remains unclear which vehicle the suspects ultimately used to escape with the cash. He said he is confident the case will be solved, pointing to other major bank robberies in Karnataka this year that were successfully cracked.
In May, thieves stole 59 kilograms of gold worth more than 532 million rupees from a bank in Vijayapura district using a duplicate locker key. Police have since recovered most of the gold and arrested 15 suspects, including two former employees.