A daring daylight robbery involving an ATM cash van created panic in Ghaziabad on Wednesday afternoon after armed assailants allegedly hijacked the vehicle, briefly held the driver hostage, and escaped with lakhs of rupees in cash. The incident took place in the Crossings Republik area and has intensified concerns regarding the security of cash transportation services as well as policing along major highway routes in the region.
According to police officials, employees of a financial services company identified as Avon India had left earlier in the day to refill cash in multiple ATMs located across the city. The team had reportedly already replenished cash at five ATM locations and was proceeding towards another machine when the robbery occurred. Authorities said the cash van stopped near the Vijayanagar Bypass stretch on NH-9 so that money could be loaded into an additional ATM.
Investigators stated that the attackers were allegedly waiting for the right opportunity and targeted the vehicle when the driver was momentarily alone. Armed with weapons, the assailants reportedly overpowered the driver at gunpoint, forcibly removed him from the van, and briefly held him hostage before taking control of the vehicle. The robbers then allegedly fled from the scene with the ATM cash van while carrying a large amount of money stored inside it.
Police believe the van was carrying nearly Rs 20 lakh in cash at the time of the robbery. The brazen nature of the crime, carried out in broad daylight on a busy highway stretch, caused panic among commuters and residents in nearby areas. Several people reportedly gathered near the spot after learning about the incident, while police teams were immediately informed and rushed to the location.
Following the robbery, authorities issued a district-wide alert and intensified security checks across multiple areas. Police teams established checkpoints at different routes in an attempt to intercept the accused before they could escape further. Officials also began coordinating with nearby police stations and highway patrol units as part of the emergency response operation.
Acting quickly on technical and local intelligence inputs, police later recovered the abandoned cash van from the Kushaliya area falling under the jurisdiction of the Masuri Police Station. However, by the time the vehicle was found, the accused had already escaped with the cash. Investigators are now attempting to reconstruct the movement of the vehicle and determine the exact route taken by the robbers between the robbery site and the recovery location.
Dhaval Jaiswal stated that a special investigation team comprising eight officers has been formed to solve the case. According to him, police are carefully examining CCTV footage collected from nearby roads, highways, and commercial establishments in order to identify the accused and track their movements before and after the robbery.
Officials are also questioning the driver of the van and other employees of the cash management company to verify the exact sequence of events and establish the precise amount of money being transported at the time of the incident. Police believe the robbery may have been pre-planned and are investigating whether the attackers had prior information regarding the cash movement schedule and route.
The incident has once again raised serious concerns regarding the safety and security arrangements surrounding cash transit operations, especially on busy highways and urban routes. Questions are also being raised about whether existing protocols for protecting ATM cash vans are adequate in high-risk areas.
Police officials have assured that efforts are underway to identify and arrest all those involved in the robbery. Authorities stated that strict legal action will be taken once the accused are traced, while the investigation into the high-profile highway heist continues.
