A daylight robbery targeting an ATM cash van sent shockwaves through Ghaziabad’s Crossings Republik area on Wednesday afternoon, with armed assailants decamping with lakhs of rupees after briefly holding the driver hostage. According to police, employees of a financial service firm, identified as Avon India, had set out to refill cash at multiple ATMs across the city.
The team had already replenished five ATMs and was on its way to a sixth when they halted near Vijayanagar Bypass on NH-9 to load cash into another machine.
Officials said the attackers, who were allegedly lying in wait, seized the opportunity when the driver was alone. At gunpoint, they overpowered him, forced him out of the vehicle, and took control of the cash van. The assailants then fled the scene with the vehicle. At the time of the incident, the van is believed to have been carrying around Rs 20 lakh in cash.
The incident triggered panic among commuters and nearby residents, given the audacity of the crime in broad daylight on a busy highway stretch. Police were alerted immediately, following which a district-wide alert was issued and checkpoints were set up at multiple locations.
Acting swiftly, the police recovered the abandoned cash van from the Kushaliya area under the Masuri police station limits within a short span of time. The accused had already escaped with the cash. Investigators are now working to piece together the sequence of events between the robbery site and the recovery location.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, City Zone, Dhaval Jaiswal said a special team of eight has been formed to crack the case. “We are examining CCTV footage from nearby areas and questioning the driver and other staff members of the cash management company. Efforts are underway to determine the exact amount of cash in the van at the time of the robbery,” he said.
The heist has raised concerns over the safety of cash transit operations and policing on major highways. Police officials have assured that the accused will be identified and arrested soon, and strict legal action will follow.
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Published By:
Ritaban Misra
Published On:
May 6, 2026 19:55 IST
