Robbers Unleash EXPLOSIONS On Armored Truck

A gang of masked robbers transformed a busy Italian highway into a war zone with Kalashnikovs, explosives, and a wall of flames, yet walked away empty-handed when a simple security system rendered their paramilitary assault utterly pointless.

Story Snapshot

Six to ten armed robbers blocked State Road 613 near Tuturano, Italy, with burning vehicles before detonating explosives on a Battistolli Group armored van on February 9, 2026
The robbery failed when the van’s foam security system activated, preventing access to cash despite the breach, while Carabinieri police engaged in a firefight with suspects
Two suspects were arrested within an hour while four or more remain at large, with helicopters and regional checkpoints deployed across Puglia
The attack reflects a disturbing surge in European highway banditry, with Italy experiencing multiple armored transport assaults throughout 2025
No injuries occurred despite bullets striking a police vehicle, with the brazen daylight assault highlighting organized crime’s evolving tactics in southern Italy

When Military Tactics Meet Morning Commutes

The attack unfolded shortly before 8 a.m. on a commercial corridor connecting Lecce to Brindisi, a route frequented by cash transports serving regional businesses. Robbers established a blockade using burning vehicles, creating what witnesses described as a wall of flames across State Road 613. Several assailants wore white and black overalls while displaying fake police lights, a calculated deception designed to confuse motorists and delay genuine law enforcement response. The explosion that followed sent the armored van airborne, a testament to the sophistication and firepower these criminals deployed on Italian soil.

The Battistolli Group van’s internal foam security system activated immediately upon breach, encasing the cash payload in an impenetrable substance that rendered the money inaccessible and unusable. This technology, increasingly standard in European cash-in-transit operations, proved its worth precisely when criminals believed they had overcome every obstacle. The robbers’ investment in explosives, automatic weapons, and coordinated personnel evaporated in seconds, leaving them exposed on a highway with sirens approaching and nothing to show for their elaborate scheme.

Gunfire on the Autostrada

Carabinieri forces from Lecce provincial command arrived as the foam system thwarted the robbers’ efforts, triggering an immediate firefight. Suspects wielding Kalashnikovs and shotguns exchanged rounds with police, with at least one law enforcement vehicle sustaining bullet damage. The absence of casualties borders on miraculous given the chaos that unfolded on a road typically filled with commuters and commercial traffic. Motorists found themselves trapped between burning vehicles and armed combatants, a nightmare scenario that transformed routine travel into a brush with organized crime violence.

The suspects scattered after realizing the cash remained inaccessible, carjacking vehicles from terrified motorists and deploying spike strips to impede pursuit. These tactics mirror military withdrawal strategies, demonstrating training and preparation that extends beyond simple criminality. Two suspects from the Foggia area were apprehended on foot within an hour, exhausted from fleeing through Puglia’s countryside. The remaining four or more accomplices vanished into the region’s rural landscape, prompting a manhunt involving helicopter surveillance and checkpoint deployments that continue to disrupt regional movement.

Southern Italy’s Criminal Infrastructure Strikes Again

Puglia harbors active organized crime presence through groups like Sacra Corona Unita, a mafia organization with deep roots in cash transport targeting and highway ambushes. State Road 613’s rural stretches and predictable traffic patterns make it ideal for such operations, with criminals exploiting the time lag between attack initiation and police arrival. This February assault follows a December 2025 incident in Scilla, Calabria, where approximately ten robbers successfully extracted two million euros from an armored van using similar blockade and explosive tactics, proving these methods can succeed when security systems fail.

Security analysts tracking European cash-in-transit crimes identify an escalating trend throughout 2025 and into 2026, with Italy experiencing a cluster of coordinated attacks employing arson, fake law enforcement identities, and military-grade weaponry. The Covert Access Team describes this as an ever-increasing phenomenon driven by high-value targets and criminals’ willingness to invest substantial resources into single operations. Labor and business monitors across Italy have flagged this surge as systemic rather than isolated, raising questions about intelligence gaps and whether law enforcement resources match the sophistication criminals now deploy on public roads.

Technology Versus Desperation

The foam system’s success highlights a critical shift in armored transport security, where passive defenses neutralize even the most aggressive assaults. Battistolli Group’s investment in this technology saved not only the cash payload but potentially lives, as prolonged confrontations increase casualty risks for bystanders, drivers, and law enforcement. The system requires no human activation, eliminating the vulnerability of driver panic or incapacitation during attacks. Criminals who once could overcome armor plating with sufficient explosives now face a chemical barrier that renders their efforts meaningless regardless of firepower or preparation time.

The broader implications extend beyond this single failed robbery. Italian authorities face mounting pressure to address what appears to be a coordinated uptick in highway banditry, with political leaders needing to demonstrate control over commercial routes essential to regional economies. Insurance costs for cash transport operations will likely rise, potentially forcing smaller security firms out of the market while concentrating the industry among providers who can afford advanced defensive systems and armed escorts. The psychological toll on Puglia’s residents cannot be ignored either, as routine highway travel now carries associations with gunfire and explosions previously confined to war zones or crime films.