Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru/Chennai
Bengaluru/Chennai, Nov 22: In a major breakthrough in the sensational Rs 7.11-crore Bengaluru ATM cash van heist, police have arrested yet another key suspect, Xavier, from Tamil Nadu, taking the total number of arrests to five.
With earlier recoveries adding up to Rs 5.76 crore, investigators continue an intensive pursuit for the remaining accused across five States.
The latest arrest was executed by a special team of the Banashankari police station in Bengaluru, led by inspector Kotreshi, who tracked the suspect to Tamil Nadu. Xavier, a resident of Kadugondanahalli in Bengaluru, had fled the city after the robbery and was reportedly hiding in the neighbouring State.
The heist occurred when an ATM cash-replenishment vehicle of CMS Agency was intercepted by a gang posing as RBI officials. The vehicle, en route to fill cash at various ATM centres in Bengaluru, was stopped near South End Circle, where the suspects forcibly took away approximately Rs 7.11 crore stored in the van’s cash boxes.
Earlier, the Bengaluru Police had cracked the core conspiracy within 54 hours, arresting three suspects, including a CMS employee managing the vehicle, a police constable, and a former CMS employee. These arrests led to the recovery of Rs 5.76 crore. Subsequently, two more suspects were arrested in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, tightening the net around the gang believed to have planned the robbery over three months.
Investigations reveal that the accused had conducted detailed reconnaissance of the targeted localities for at least 15 days. After the van was intercepted, the suspects travelled towards the Kuppam region near Chittoor, where they allegedly broke open the cash boxes, emptied the money into bags, and abandoned the Innova car used in the robbery. Xavier is believed to have switched to a WagonR from the spot to evade capture.
Police teams from Bengaluru launched coordinated operations across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and possibly Kerala, as multiple suspects dispersed soon after committing the crime. Items including abandoned cash boxes were later recovered near Kuppam, providing key forensic and trail leads.
Following the latest arrest, Xavier has been brought to the Siddapura police station, where interrogation is under way to trace the remaining absconding members of the gang and recover the yet-missing quantity of the stolen cash.
Bengaluru city police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh has announced a Rs 5-lac cash reward for the special investigation team and supporting personnel who played a crucial role in swiftly cracking the case and tracking suspects across States.
With five arrests completed, Bengaluru police are intensifying efforts to apprehend the remaining accused, believed to number at least five more, as the investigation widens beyond State borders and scrutiny deepens into internal links, employee involvement and the meticulous planning that enabled one of the city’s largest cash-van robberies in recent years.