In a film-style robbery, miscreants allegedly hijacked a bank ATM cash van at gunpoint, drugged its driver and decamped with Rs 24 lakh cash at Aska of Ganjam district on Wednesday.
The van belonging to cash logistics firm AGS Transact Technologies Limited was hijacked along with its driver from the Aska Road area in the morning hours when the vehicle was on its way to fill up cash in ATMs.
According to sources, the driver along with three other staffs of the cash loading firm drove off to load Rs 26 lakh cash in the dispensing machines at various ATM kiosks in morning. After loading Rs 2 lakh at an ICICI Bank ATM, the vehicle proceeded to another ATM kiosk when vehicle was allegedly hijacked along with its driver.When staff at firm found vehicle and driver missing, they informed the Golanthara police who later traced the vehicle. The police found the driver unconscious and the cash missing. Later, the driver who was rescued in an unconscious state was admitted to a hospital in the locality. The police have launched an investigation into the matter.
“After loading cash at the ATM kiosk of ICICI bank, we headed for an ATM kiosk of Axis bank at Aska road. An auto-rickshaw was parked in front of the ATM kiosk and one of our staff went to driver and asked him to move the vehicle from place,”Asish Diggal, driver of the van, who regained senses, told mediapersons.
“As soon as the staffs went inside ATM kiosk, two youths came and brandished a gun and forced me to drive. When we reached an unknown location, they drugged me. I fell unconscious and knew nothing about what happened thereafter,” he added. Police have initiated an investigation to track down miscreants on basis of witness accounts and other evidence.