Bengaluru Cash-Van Heist Cracked: Police Arrest 3 Insiders, Recover Rs 5.76 Crore Within 60 Hours

Bengaluru Police have achieved a significant breakthrough in the high-profile ATM cash-van robbery case, successfully apprehending three key suspects and recovering Rs 5.76 crore within just 60 hours of the crime.

The Tuesday incident involved a CMS-operated cash vehicle transporting Rs 7.11 crore that was determined to be an elaborately planned heist facilitated by insiders.

At approximately 12:48 pm, individuals impersonating RBI officials intercepted the CMS cash van near Ashoka Pillar-Jayanagar Dairy Circle. The perpetrators threatened staff at gunpoint, took possession of the cash containers, and abandoned the vehicle by 1:16 pm.

The case was subsequently registered with Siddapura Police Station.

Authorities have arrested three individuals directly connected to orchestrating and executing the robbery: the CMS company vehicle movement coordinator suspected of divulging critical information; a former CMS employee believed to have shared operational protocols and insider knowledge; and a Police Constable from Govindapura Police Station allegedly providing ground support and intelligence.

These arrests confirm involvement of insiders at various levels within the operation.

Investigators revealed that the criminal group spent three months planning the robbery, conducting extensive reconnaissance of the cash van route while identifying and exploiting CCTV blind spots along the travel corridor.

The perpetrators utilized multiple vehicles with frequently changed registration plates and avoided mobile phone usage to evade police tracking. They also communicated in different languages to confuse investigators.

Law enforcement officials believe 6-8 individuals participated in the broader operation, including logistics handlers, spotters, and money transporters.

"All the accused are from Bengaluru. We won't be able to share the exact details of the roles of each accused, but this is a serious case. We have called the heads of the CMS company to discuss the lapses to ensure this doesn't happen again," stated Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh during a press briefing.

"We have recovered some trunks in which cash was stored. The ex-employee had left the company about a year ago but was still in touch with people at the company. All three arrested accused and the others involved have had major roles," he added.

More than 30 individuals were interrogated across multiple states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Goa.

Initial leads emerged within 24 hours, helping authorities trace movements of both the suspects and vehicles involved.

Police reported that the CMS cash van had violated multiple RBI safety regulations, increasing its vulnerability. One vehicle used in the heist has been seized.

The Bengaluru Police team responsible for solving the case has been awarded a Rs 5 lakh cash reward by the police commissioner.