Three individuals have been arrested in connection with a 70 million rupee ($800,000; £600,000) robbery of an ATM cash van in Bengaluru, India. Law enforcement officials announced on Saturday that they had recovered 57.6 million rupees of the stolen funds.
Incident Overview
On Saturday, police in Bengaluru confirmed that three people had been detained regarding the robbery which occurred three days prior. The incident involved armed individuals who impersonated central bank officials to stop and seize a cash transport vehicle.
Arrested Individuals
Bengaluru police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh identified the arrested suspects as:
- Gopal Prasad, an employee of the cash transport company CMS.
- J Xavier, a former employee of CMS.
- Annappa Naik, a local police constable.
An ongoing search is underway for additional individuals believed to be involved in the crime.
Robbery Method and Investigation
The perpetrators, posing as officers from the Reserve Bank of India, stopped the cash van in Bengaluru's Lalbagh area. They reportedly claimed the need to verify paperwork related to the large sum of money. The vehicle's cash custodian and two security guards were directed to transfer to an SUV, while a member of the group assumed control of the cash van.
Further police investigation revealed that the gang utilized multiple vehicles, employed fake registration plates, and selected locations with limited CCTV surveillance during the transfer of cash boxes. A comprehensive search operation was initiated, deploying over 200 police officers across Karnataka and neighboring states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Goa.
Detectives are also examining the role of CMS, the cash transport company, and potential violations of established guidelines for cash transfers, such as the recommendation to vary vehicle routes and timings to avoid predictability.