Robbers pretending to be police pulled off a movie-style stunt on a busy Italian highway, blowing up an armoured cash van in broad daylight – and the whole thing was caught on camera.
The dramatic scene unfolded on State Road 613 in southern Italy’s Puglia region on Monday morning. Masked men armed with Kalashnikov rifles shut down the highway after setting a truck on fire and rolling in with flashing lights, making it look like an official police operation. Drivers had no clue something was off – until chaos broke loose.
Explosion caught on camera
As the attackers closed in, they set off an explosive on the cash van, causing a huge blast. In the viral video, the gang can be seen ducking behind cars just moments before the armoured van explodes, sending flames and metal flying into the air. Other clips filmed by stunned motorists show at least six masked men, some dressed in white overalls, moving between vehicles with weapons in hand.
The targeted van belonged to Battistolli, a company that transports cash across Italy. The robbers didn’t stop there – they also allegedly looted other drivers stuck on the road during the raid, according to the local media reports.
Watch video-
this italy highway robbery footage is cooked. masked gunmen, exploding cash vans, firefights. this ain't just crime, bro, this is some next-level coordinated chaos. how did they pull this off?
and where was the security? this is a straight up movie scene, but it's real life.… pic.twitter.com/DXa9Pog2qt
— NOCTURNAL205 (@Nocturnal205) February 10, 2026
Dramatic escape and police chase
The gang made a dramatic getaway, triggering a high-speed chase with the Carabinieri. During the pursuit, a police vehicle was reportedly hit by three gunshots, while an unmarked car was rammed. One suspect was later arrested after fleeing on foot, while another was caught trying to escape, the local reports mentioned.
Despite the explosive effort, the heist flopped. Local media say the gang failed to get away with any cash. Police later found an abandoned Alfa Romeo in the countryside, believed to be used in the escape.
The suspects are reportedly from the Foggia area, a region notorious for organised gangs that target armoured vehicles. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the chaos, authorities confirmed — though two suspects are still on the run.
Nicola Magno, a senior official with Un Arma in Puglia, summed it up bluntly, saying the Carabinieri were once again forced to face an “extremely violent and well-organised criminal act.”
“The fact that a patrol was hit by gunfire demonstrates the high level of risk to which our officers are exposed on a daily basis. It is only thanks to the professionalism, composure, and sense of duty of our colleagues that today we are not talking about a tragedy,” The Standard quoted Magno as saying.