Thieves Set Vehicles Ablaze on Italian Highway, Ram Armored Truck with Semi

This spectacular heist attempt – yes, attempt, because it failed – happened in Italy, in the province of Lodi, in the region Lombardy, on the A1 highway. Local emergency responders, aka Vigili del Fuoco, were called at the scene by the driver of the armored car himself, who was able to drive away.

Not many details on the incident are currently available, but from what EuroNews is reporting, it sounds like the bandits set the vehicles on fire and then scattered nails, thinking this would be enough to get the armored truck to stop. Blazing cars and trucks spread in both directions on the highway, so it could be that they had set up several traps.

Still, the armored vehicle powered through. Not even being rammed with a tractor trailer was enough to stop it – the driver made his way to a rest area and alerted a police patrol, which, in turn, called for more backup. By the time Carabinieri arrived, the bandits had fled and all was left were the burning vehicles.

Police believe at least 10 bandits were involved in the heist, riding in several vehicles, in addition to the tractor trailer.

The report doesn’t say anything about the cars and trucks on the highway, but it does mention “at least a dozen” of them were damaged in the fire. The highway had to be closed down until firefighters put out the flames, and queues of vehicles waiting to pass spread for miles in both directions, according to local reports.

Coincidence or not, a similar heist in 2014 occurred on the same stretch of the road. That time, bandits were able to make off with €5 million ($5.5 million) in cash.

#Lodi autostrada #A1, intervento nella notte tra i km 17 e 20 per l’incendio di un autoarticolato e di alcune auto nelle due direzioni di marcia, probabilmente causati per un tentato attacco a un portavalori in transito. Notevoli disagi alla circolazione pic.twitter.com/dmBJKNDgzS

— Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) January 29, 2020