By Gangsters Inc. Publishers
Italian police foiled a violent robbery attempt early Monday morning after a gang ambushed an armored cash transport on a stretch of highway between Brindisi and Lecce, in the country's southernmost Puglia region. Two suspects were arrested.
Investigators believe the gang first set fire to a truck to block traffic and force the armored vehicle to stop. The crew operated with military-style precision. At least six suspects were involved. They were driving vehicles disguised as police cars. The thieves wore white jumpsuits and balaclavas. According to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, they were armed with Kalashnikov rifles.
Bombing
An explosion ripped through the armored truck, blowing open its doors. Italian media report that the theft failed in part because the vehicle had been reinforced internally with dense foam padding designed to absorb explosions and prevent forced entry.
Video filmed by a passing motorist shows the attackers firing indiscriminately into the air as chaos unfolded on the roadway. A shootout eventually broke out between the gang and responding police units.
During their escape attempt, the suspects allegedly hijacked several vehicles from motorists caught in the ambush. Several members of the crew are still at large.
Speaking shortly after the incident, Ilario Castello of the Carabinieri NSC police union described the scene in stark terms: “It was guerrilla warfare. The professionalism of our colleagues prevented a massacre.”
The investigation is ongoing.
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