Gzb: Armed robbers make off with cash van with ₹20L on NH-9

DCP Dhawal Jaiswal said that “the van was parked on the highway and the staff had gone to fill the cash in the first ATM”.

Ghaziabad: Three armed men snatched a cash replenishing van parked on the National Highway-9 near Bagu area, adjacent to Crossings Republik township in Ghaziabad, and escaped with an estimated ₹20 lakh cash, officials said, adding that the vehicle was found abandoned about 15 km away on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) near Masuri.

Sushant Kumar, a local, told HT, “There are two ATMs in the lane from the highway. Generally, the cash vans move in when the money is filled up in the second ATM. The vans are generally parked on the highway when the cash is filled in the first ATM which is about 50 metres from the highway.” (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Officials said the van, with four staff including guards, had arrived for filling cash in an ATM located in a congested lane. Thus, they had parked the vehicle about 100 metres away on the highway.

According to the police, the incident took place around 1pm when the driver was alone in the vehicle.

“Three men came afoot, and one of them also fired a shot in the air. Thereafter, they forcibly took away the cash van and dumped it near Kushaliya village in Masuri. But the entire cash, estimated to be ₹20 lakh kept in it, was gone. We have formed eight teams to trace the robbers, and an FIR will also be registered once the firm files a formal complaint,” deputy commissioner of police (city) Dhawal Jaiswal told HT.

“The van was found abandoned on the DME (on the Ghaziabad-Meerut carriageway) near Kushaliya village. It seems that the robbers took away the cash in some other vehicle. They may have taken a detour from the expressway, as it is under CCTV surveillance and also has tolls with CCTVs. The forensic examination of the cash van is also being taken up,” said an officer aware of the developments.

Local shopkeepers at the incident site at Bagu told HT that they heard a gunshot during the incident.

“We came to know when the driver of the cash-filling van came running towards the shops, shouting for help and saying some armed men snatched his vehicle. Then, the other staff who had gone to the ATM also arrived. We heard one gunshot,” said a shopkeeper near the scene of crime, requesting anonymity.

Sushant Kumar, a local, told HT, “There are two ATMs in the lane from the highway. Generally, the cash vans move in when the money is filled up in the second ATM. The vans are generally parked on the highway when the cash is filled in the first ATM which is about 50 metres from the highway.”

When asked, DCP said that “the van was parked on the highway and the staff had gone to fill the cash in the first ATM.”

Officials said that after snatching the cash van, the suspects possibly took a U-turn below the expressway and drove towards Masuri.

Police said the van’s staff is also being questioned about the chain of events that took place within minutes.

“Their role, if any, is also being ascertained. The cash-filling company has been asked to submit the details of the cash and also cash filled in different ATMs on the day. Investigation is underway,” the DCP added.