Video: Fake Italian Cops Blow Up Cash Van

Armed robbers, disguised as police officers, blew up an armoured cash-in-transit van on a busy motorway in Italy on Tuesday. The attack took place on the SS 613 highway linking Lecce and Brindisi, near the Tuturano exit in the Puglia region.

According to Italian media, at least eight gunmen were involved, with some posing as police officers using flashing lights to confuse motorists. The attackers used explosives to breach the van and exchanged gunfire with the Carabinieri (Italian Military Police). 

The video of the incident is also doing the rounds on social media. It shows multiple robbers dressed in white and black overalls and armed with large assault rifles. They run to the rear of the security van and use explosives to blow the doors open; a thick plume of smoke rises into the air.

ITALY: An armed gang carried out a daylight assault on an armored cash in transit van in southern Italy this morning. The attack targeted a BTV armored vehicle on the SS 613 highway between Lecce and Brindisi, near the Tuturano exit in the Puglia region.

According to Italian… pic.twitter.com/Bqu03Dy4rx

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) February 9, 2026

The group blocked the highway by setting vehicles on fire, creating a "wall of flames," according to witnesses. They used a dark blue Alfa Romeo with a blue flashing light on the roof to make their vehicle look like a police car, The Telegraph reported.

Despite the dramatic operation, officials confirmed the robbery was unsuccessful, but it remained unclear whether any cash was taken.

Investigators said the suspects hijacked cars from nearby motorists to escape the scene, according to reports. During the getaway, the gang also targeted police vehicles responding to the incident. One police car was hit by three bullets, while an unmarked police vehicle was rammed. 

"Once again, Carabinieri officers find themselves on the front line of a criminal action that is extremely violent and well organised," said Nicola Magno, the secretary general of a police officers' union. 

"The fact that a patrol was targeted with shots shows the high level of risk that our officers are being exposed to on a regular basis," he added.

Magno further stated that criminal gangs were becoming better armed and police needed stronger vehicles, better training and improved weapons and tools.

The police caught two suspects in Lecce in less than an hour after the attack. The hunt to arrest the remaining gang members is underway.