A Hollywood-style highway robbery unfolded in Italy after six to eight armed attackers ambushed an armoured cash transporter on the road between Lecce and Brindisi shortly before 8am.

The suspects posed as police, using vehicles fitted with blue flashing lights, and escorted the transporter along the highway in the Apulia region. They then blocked the road with a truck and a van, set both vehicles on fire, and used explosives to blow open the armoured van’s door. Mobile phone footage shows the blast briefly lifting the vehicle into the air.

When Carabinieri units arrived, a gunfight broke out. A foam-based security system inside the transporter was triggered, preventing the robbers from accessing the cash.

During their escape, the attackers hijacked cars from passing motorists to break through police roadblocks. Two suspects have been arrested, while the others remain at large. A manhunt is ongoing.