Attack in Brindisi, the alarm grows: boom in robberies of armored vehicles (+12%)
An episode of audacious criminality is what shook the province between Brindisi and Lecce this morning around 8:30 on state road 16, in the stretch between San Pietro Vernotico and Torchiarolo, in the territory of Brindisi, on the border with the province of Lecce. A gang of robbers armed with machine guns carried out a spectacular assault on the armored vehicle of the Btv – Battistoli group, leaving behind a chaos of burned vehicles, scattered shell casings and an estimated amount of 3 million euros stolen.
The criminal action, orchestrated with military precision, involved at least ten individuals with well-defined roles, demonstrating a worrying level of organization and preparation. The police, arriving at the crime scene, found a scene worthy of an action movie, with explosions, flames and an atmosphere of urban warfare.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE ASSAULT
The armored vehicle that came under fire was transporting cash in the direction of Lecce. The van was followed by another escort vehicle from the same institute: in total there were four guards on board the two vehicles. The commando blocked them and then made them get out of the vehicles under the threat of machine guns. No one was injured. The robbery was planned in every detail: the criminals ‘sealed off’ a stretch of several hundred meters of the state road, closing it with numerous cars and a van that were placed across the road to block the armored van. The bandits also fired several shots in the air. Then, they placed a bomb on the armored vehicle and blew up the safe, making a haul of banknotes. The two vehicles were then set on fire. The loot is still being quantified, but it is said to be quite large: initial estimates, still to be confirmed, suggest over three million euros. To facilitate the escape, the cars placed across the state road were set on fire. A cloud of smoke developed. For this reason, the road was closed to traffic.
The competent authorities, including the Carabinieri of the provincial command of Brindisi, are conducting thorough investigations to identify and capture those responsible for this vile crime. In the meantime, traffic in the area has been compromised, with long queues and inconvenience for motorists forced to change route. This assault operation is completely specular to the one perpetrated last January 31 in Sassari on state road 131 when a commando of ten robbers targeted a Vigilpol armored van headed to Cagliari, blocked by a garbage compactor. During the assault, two vans caught fire. Numerous Kalashnikov shots were fired by the commando and the vehicles were set on fire. There are many similarities that suggest that it could be the same criminal organization that has carried out another robbery.
The crime of robbery of cash-in-transit vehicles is constantly growing: 12% more since 2022. It takes months to prepare a robbery of an armored vehicle. The route is studied, stakeouts are set up, deterrent weapons are used.
In Puglia, as in Sardinia or in the rest of Italy, there is a lack of security conditions and so criminal gangs strike as and when they want. There is no real integration between private security and the public security system and this forces the police forces to always operate in a proactive manner, after the fact, when the criminals have already committed their actions and this exposes workers and citizens to very serious risks. Of course, the security systems adopted during the transport of money or valuables in general are numerous, from physical and ballistic defenses to the most sophisticated alarm sensors, through suitcases that “stain” the money or systems such as the “Spumablock” capable of incorporating cash in a resin that solidifies in a few seconds. Systems that, however, do not always manage to prevent a robbery or prevent someone from being injured.
However, in response to these acts of violence and recklessness, it would probably be appropriate to have a specific law to severely punish those who commit such serious crimes. It is clear that the current rules are not sufficient to deter such criminal actions and to guarantee the safety of anyone on the road.
*Lawyer and criminologist
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