How Did a Gang Steal Rs 7.11 Crore from ATM Cash Refill Vehicle in Bengaluru?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Robbery Amount: Rs 7.11 crore stolen.
- Location: Dairy Circle, Bengaluru.
- Method: Gang impersonated RBI officials.
- Police Response: Increased vehicle checks and investigations.
- Security Concerns: Need for improved safety in cash transport operations.
Bengaluru, Nov 19 (NationPress) A significant robbery unfolded in broad daylight in Bengaluru, Karnataka, where a group managed to steal Rs 7.11 crore from a vehicle designated for ATM cash refilling.
The Bengaluru Police Commissioner, Seemanth Kumar Singh, has ordered a heightened state of alert in the city. Enhanced vehicle inspections are being conducted, particularly at the city’s peripheries, where barricades have been established to thwart the escape of the perpetrators.
Two extra police teams along with DCP-level officers have been tasked with the investigation. The police have expressed suspicions regarding certain CMS personnel.
This incident transpired near South End Circle while staff were preparing to replenish cash into an ATM. At that moment, a group of 7 to 8 individuals, arriving in an Innova vehicle, confronted the employees.
Reports indicate that the gang impersonated RBI officials and intimidated the cash team. They forcibly removed the armed guard and other personnel from the vehicle.
Allegedly, the gang abducted the driver towards Dairy Circle. There, on the Dairy Circle flyover, they transferred the cash into their Innova and fled the location.
The CMS employees are currently being interrogated at the Siddapur Police Station.
The vehicle contained four CMS employees: one driver, two armed guards, and one cash-loading staff member. A fingerprint analysis team has arrived at the crime scene.
Aside from the driver, all other personnel were made to sit inside the Innova. Two of the suspects accompanied the driver in the CMS vehicle, while the remaining staff were in the Innova. They were taken a short distance away before being ordered out of the car. On the Dairy Circle flyover, the gang shifted the cash from the CMS vehicle into their Innova.
The gang utilized a counterfeit number plate on the Innova for this heist. The number KA 03 NC 8052 was attached to the Innova, which actually corresponds to a Swift car from Kalyan Nagar, according to police.
Notably, the cash refill vehicle staff reportedly delayed notifying authorities after the incident, leading to suspicions regarding the gunmen's inaction during the robbery. All aspects are currently under thorough investigation.
Presently, the driver, two armed guards, and the cash-loading personnel are being questioned at Siddapur Police Station.
City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh stated, “We will apprehend the suspects swiftly.”
Authorities also mentioned, “There are indications that the suspects may have escaped towards Hosakote via Domlur, Marathahalli, and Whitefield areas of Bengaluru.”
This heist was executed with meticulous planning on the heavily trafficked Dairy Circle flyover, which sees minimal pedestrian activity and fast-moving vehicles. Even stopping a vehicle here does not raise any suspicions, police noted.
Moreover, this stretch lacks CCTV coverage, posing challenges for a driver attempting to evade capture. These conditions are believed to have influenced the gang’s decision to target the Dairy Circle flyover for the robbery. Police were alerted 45 minutes to an hour after the incident.