Bengaluru ATM Cash Van Heist Cracked: ₹5.76 Crore Recovered, Cop Among 3 Arrested, Says City Police Commissioner
Bengaluru, November 22: Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh on Saturday announced a major breakthrough in the ₹7.11 crore ATM cash van heist, reported from Siddapura Police Station limits on November 19, 2025. Addressing a press conference, he confirmed that police have so far recovered ₹5.76 crore and arrested three key accused, including a serving police constable.
The case relates to cash belonging to a bank and handled by CMS Cash Management Services, which went missing from a cash van operating in the city. Initial information reached the police with a delay of nearly one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hours, and early alerts were routed incorrectly to different zones, slowing the first response.
Once the full picture emerged, the entire Bengaluru City Police machinery was mobilised. Control Room alerts were flashed to all units, including law and order, crime, Hoysalas, bordering district SPs and inter-state police units.
11 Teams, 200 Personnel, Multi-State Operation
Commissioner Singh said the case posed serious operational challenges:
- The gang carefully chose routes with no CCTV coverage,
- Avoided using mobile phones for coordination,
- Communicated in multiple languages to confuse any interception,
- And used multiple vehicles, including an Innova with a fake number plate and “Government of India” painted on the rear.
Despite this, a massive operation was launched under the supervision of Joint Commissioner (CCB) and Joint Commissioner (West), with DCP South and DCP CCB leading on ground.
A total of 11 police teams were formed, involving around 200 officers and staff, who fanned out across Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Goa. Over 30 suspects were interrogated, leading to crucial technical and human intelligence breakthroughs.
Three Arrested: CMS Staff and City Constable Involved
So far, police have arrested three accused:
- Vehicle in-charge of the CMS cash van operations in the city,
- An ex-employee of CMS,
- A serving police constable attached to Govindapura Police Station.
All three are alleged to have played “important roles” in planning and executing the heist. They will be produced in court and taken into police custody for further interrogation.
Commissioner Singh said investigators believe 6 to 8 people may be involved in total, including conspirators, facilitators and possible insiders. More arrests are expected as the probe progresses.
Heist Planned for 3 Months, 15 Days of Recce
According to the Commissioner, preliminary investigation shows:
- The gang planned the robbery for nearly three months,
- Conducted continuous recce for around 15 days,
- Mapped out CCTV blind spots and “shadow areas”,
- Identified a specific stretch near Ashoka Pillar and Mother Dairy flyover to intercept and transfer the cash,
- Misused the RBI guidelines “cover story” by posing as RBI/official staff when they stopped the van.
On the day of the incident, the accused allegedly:
- Stopped the CMS cash van at a location with no CCTV coverage,
- Separated the driver and security staff on the pretext of regulatory checking,
- Transferred four cash boxes into the Innova at a flyover zone without cameras,
- Dumped the van staff at another spot and fled with the money.
CMS Under Lens for Violating RBI Cash Van Guidelines
Commissioner Singh strongly criticised CMS Cash Management for serious lapses and non-compliance with RBI norms. He listed key guidelines that appear to have been violated:
- Cash van should carry two custodians and two armed guards besides the driver – this was not followed,
- Each cash van must be GPS-enabled and live monitored with geo-fencing and mapping to nearby police stations – GPS tracking was not effectively used,
- Vans should avoid using the same route and timing repeatedly to prevent predictability – the van used the same route from JP Nagar towards Koramangala,
- Character and antecedent verification of all staff, including police verification of past addresses, must be mandatory,
- In case of dismissal of any staff, police must be informed – yet an ex-employee is now an accused.
He said senior CMS officials have been summoned and the company’s role, along with possible negligence, will be examined in detail. A separate communication to the RBI on CMS’s operations and security standards is being prepared.
Strong Evidence and Focus on Conviction
The Commissioner stated that the police now have:
- Fingerprints,
- Technical evidence,
- Forensic and documentary material,
- And CCTV-based movement tracking of vehicles (including the Innova with a fake number plate).
This, he said, will help file a strong chargesheet and ensure conviction of all those involved in the Bengaluru ATM cash van heist.
Reward and Internal Action
Praising the “relentless efforts” of his teams, Commissioner Singh announced a cash reward of ₹5 lakh for the combined investigation team and said they would be formally felicitated with appreciation letters.
On the involvement of a serving police constable, he was categorical:
“This is a serious criminal act. There is no question of sympathy or leniency. Strict departmental and legal action will be taken. This case is a serious wake-up call for introspection within the department.”
He added that no clean chit has been given to anyone, including company officials, and that both internal misconduct and corporate negligence will be pursued.
Also Read: Bengaluru Daylight Robbery: Fake RBI Officers Steal ₹7.11 Crore From CMS Cash Van
The Commissioner concluded by saying that further recovery of the remaining cash and arrest of all conspirators remains the top priority and that the Bengaluru City Police will “take this case to full conviction, not just detection.”
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