Bhubaneswar, Nov 10 : Around eight masked criminals armed with fire arms looted more than Rs 1.5 crore from an ATM cash van on Godijharia Nua Sadak Road near Kalim Bagicha Rice Mill under Tigiria Police limits of Cuttack district on Friday.
Sources said over eight masked criminals armed with firearms and sharp weapons came on a four- wheeler and motorcycles, intercepted the cash van and looted the box containing Rs 1.73 crore after threatening the driver and three employees at gun point.
The criminals also snatched the rifle of the van security guard, mobile phones of all the four people in the van before fleeing with cash trunk.
On getting information Police launched a manhunt to nab the criminals.
Cuttack Rural Superintendent of Police Mihir Panda said three teams have been constituted to probe the incidents. The other police stations were also alerted.
The cash has to be loaded in 13 ATMs of the SBI. But it was looted after some cash loaded in four ATM kiosks and the van was on its way to load the remaining cash at nine other ATMs.