Bengaluru ATM cash van heist: Gang posing as tax officials loots over Rs 7 crore in broad daylight | Video
The robbery of Rs 7.11 cr from a CMS cash van in Bengaluru is believed by police to be a highly organized and meticulously planned crime involving multiple vehicles. The gang used fake government markings, including a disguised number plate and “Government of India” text on the rear of the Innova.
A CCTV footage from near the Ashoka Pillar in Bengaluru shows a CMS cash van being followed by a Toyota Innova car just before the vehicle was intercepted by a gang of robbers. The same spot is believed to be where the Innova moved ahead and blocked the van, setting the stage for a meticulously planned heist.
Rs 7.11 crore robbery from CMS cash van in Bengaluru
A complaint has been registered with Siddapura police station regarding a major cash van robbery in Bengaluru. According to 47-year-old Vinod Chandrar, Branch Manager at CMS Inno System Limited, HBR Layout, Bengaluru, the company transports cash daily from HDFC Bank currency chests at various locations including JP Nagar, MG Tower, Sarakki Main Road, and ITI Layout to different ATMs across the city.
Details of the van and crew during the incident
On the day of the incident, at around 9:30 am, a Tata Yodha vehicle (registration GJ-01-HT-9173) under the supervision of custodian Aftab, with driver Binod Kumar and gunmen Rajanna and Tammayya, was dispatched for bank duties. By 12:24 pm, cash amounting to Rs 7,11,00,000 (seven crore eleven lakh) had been withdrawn from the HDFC currency chest at JP Nagar, packed in boxes, and loaded onto the Tata Yodha van.
How the robbery unfolded?
While branch manager Vinod Chandrar and CMS FIT Manager Farooq Pasha were at the branch, driver Binod Kumar called Farooq Pasha to report that near Ashoka Pillar, on the route from Jayanagar to Lalbagh Siddapura gate, a white Innova car (KA-03-NC-8052) stopped their van. Approximately 5 to 6 men alighted from the car, claiming to be RBI officials and ordered the van staff out. They forcibly put custodian Aftab and gunmen Rajanna and Tammayya into their Innova, leaving driver Binod Kumar alone to drive the cash van.
Their whereabouts after this are unknown. Subsequently, reportedly threatening Binod Kumar with a pistol, the robbers at Dairy Circle flyover looted the entire Rs 7.11 crore from the van and fled.
Commissioner’s briefing on the incident
Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said the robbery took place on Wednesday afternoon (November 19) in the South Division, within the limits of Siddapura police station. Senior officers, including the DCP (South) and Joint Commissioner (West), are supervising the probe, and preliminary information suggests around Rs 7 crore has been looted, though the exact figure is under verification as the van driver’s statement remains unclear. The entire city has been put on alert, with checkpoints set up, ground teams deployed, and command centre and technical units activated to track the culprits, with police expressing confidence that the case will be solved soon.
How the heist unfolded?
According to initial reports, the CMS cash van was transporting money from HDFC Bank’s JP Nagar branch to load ATMs when a group of 7–8 men in a white Toyota Innova began tailing it. Dressed as central tax or government officers, the gang stopped the van on the pretext of checking documents for carrying such a large amount of cash and convinced the staff they were genuine officials. Believing them to be authentic authorities, the bank staff halted the vehicle, after which the robbers took control, seized cash boxes containing about Rs 7.11 crore, and forced the staff and gunman into the Innova.
Escape and modus operandi
The gang drove a short distance before transferring the cash into another vehicle and then fled, later abandoning the van staff on the road. The operation, reminiscent of the plot of the film “Special 26,” relied heavily on impersonation of government officers and precise knowledge of the van’s movement and cash load. Security consultant Natraj, associated with CMS, indicated that the manner of execution suggests the robbers had detailed information about CMS’s operations and routing patterns.
Police probe, security concerns and suspicions
Police believe the robbery was highly organised and pre-planned, with multiple vehicles likely involved and fake government markings used to lend credibility to the imposters. Investigators are scanning CCTV footage from all relevant routes to track the Innova and the secondary vehicle used to move the cash, while a citywide alert and road blockades remain in place. The incident has raised serious questions about protocol, as the driver and staff reportedly could not clearly explain events, and the lapse in verification of IDs and use of armed security is now under close scrutiny.
A total of five special police teams have been formed. CCTV footage has provided critical clues about the movements of the Innova car involved in the heist. Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh personally monitored the case late into the night at Siddapura police station.
Immediate response and police involvement
Vinod Chandrar checked the van's GPS and confirmed it was near Dairy Circle on Hosur Road. He alerted another branch manager, and later security manager Syed Ahmed Pasha informed the control room (112). Company technicians later checked the van's DVR, which the robbers had also taken. Police harbor suspicions of possible internal involvement from some CMS employees at the time of the robbery. Intensive interrogation of the driver, staff, and two gunmen present in the cash van is underway.
Efforts to trace suspects
The Innova was last seen in the Avalahalli area, from where two roads lead to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Police teams have been dispatched towards both states to trace the vehicle and apprehend the culprits.