Italy’s Cash Heists Surge Amid Deepening Economic Crisis [VIDEO]

Economic Desperation Fuels Bold Armored Van Robbery in Puglia.

In southern Italy’s Puglia region, an armed gang launched a bold daylight assault this morning on a Battistolli (BTV) armored cash-in-transit van traveling along the SS 613 highway between Lecce and Brindisi, near the Tuturano exit.

At least six to eight heavily armed assailants—some disguised as police with flashing blue lights—blocked the road by positioning vehicles across the lanes and setting them ablaze, creating a fiery barricade that trapped the target and halted traffic.

The robbers then detonated military-grade explosives to breach the van’s rear, producing a massive blast and thick smoke visible from afar, while exchanging gunfire with security personnel and later with responding Carabinieri patrols during the chaotic escape.

No injuries or fatalities were reported among guards, civilians, or officers, though the scene resembled a paramilitary operation common in Puglia’s history of such “assalto al portavalori” heists. Authorities quickly arrested two suspects, believed to be from the Foggia area, following a pursuit that ended in nearby countryside after attempts to ram police vehicles.