Robbers posing as police have blocked a highway in Italy and blown up an armoured van in a daylight raid caught on video.
Footage of the shocking incident appears to show masked gunmen, carrying Kalashnikov rifles, shutting down State Road 613 in Puglia, southern Italy.
According to local media reports, the gang blocked the road by setting fire to a truck and using vehicles with flashing lights to pose as police and close in on an armoured van.
The video shows the gangsters crouching behind a car whilst the van explodes, sending flames and debris into the air.
In other clips filmed by drivers on the road, at least six masked robbers can be spotted, some wearing white overalls and holding weapons, whilst they move between vehicles.
The armoured vehicle belonged to Battistolli, which provides armoured cash transport services across the country.
Italian media also claim that other drivers on the road were robbed during the daylight raid.
The robbers escaped the scene and were shortly followed by the Carabinieri, in a dramatic chase which saw a police car hit by three gunshots and an unmarked vehicle rammed.
Police investigated reports of an Alfa Romeo travelling at high speed, but later found the car abandoned in the countryside. A man attempting to escape on foot was arrested nearby.
He was detained alongside another gang member caught while fleeing.
According to local reports, the dramatic heist was ultimately unsuccessful, as the gang failed to escape with any cash.
The gangsters are reportedly from the area of Foggia area, which is known locally for being home to gangs specialising in the robbery of armoured vehicles, Italian media outlet Sky TG24 reported.
Thankfully, no one was injured during the raid, Italian authorities confirmed, and two more suspects are currently on the loose. It was reported that other gang members stole the cars of motorists on the road to escape.
Nicola Magno, the Puglia regional secretary general of Un Arma, said: “Once again, the Carabinieri found themselves on the front lines of an extremely violent and organized criminal act.
“The fact that a patrol was hit by gunfire demonstrates the high level of risk to which our officers are exposed on a daily basis.
“It is only thanks to the professionalism, composure, and sense of duty of our colleagues that today we are not talking about a tragedy.”
