An armed gang in southern Italy posed as police and blew up an armoured van in a bid to carry out a raid, in what local media referred to as a scene out of the “wild west”.
Footage from the incident on a motorway in Italy’s region of Puglia shows the group wearing balaclavas and armed with Kalashnikov rifles during the attack on Monday morning.
The heist took place shortly after dawn on the 613 motorway connecting Lecce and Brindisi, when the armed group arrived on the scene in an Alfa Romeo Stelvio, a Jeep Compass and Kia Sportage – all of which had fake emergency lights on, local media reports.
They then set a vehicle on fire, forcing the armoured van to stop.
The gang then used an explosive on the van, resulting in a huge plume of smoke.
According to some reports, the number of armoured vehicles blocked was actually two and they were carrying millions of euros – but this hasn’t been confirmed.
Video taken by witnesses shows at least six masked people, some of whom appeared to be in white suits.
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As they later sought to escape, the armed group opened fire against the Carabinieri – Italy’s national law enforcement agency – which had intervened.
The heist, however, appears to have been unsuccessful.
Two people have reportedly been arrested.
