Thieves rob Swiss money van in ‘Fast and Furious’ style heist
A money delivery van was immobilised by a Kalashnikov-wielding gang using two delivery vehicles near the Swiss town of Mont-sur-Lausanne close to Lake Geneva. They made away with some of the money and are at large.
The cash delivery van operated by a private company was attacked on Thursday morning a little after midnight. It was hit by two delivery vehicles stolen by the thieves and the two occupants were threatened with a Kalashnikov. After taking the money, the robbers then set fire to the van, the two stolen delivery vehicles and another car in the vicinity. They then fled in several cars despite measures by the police to intercept them.
“They were determined and prepared”, said Florence Maillard, spokesperson for the police of canton Vaud. She added that the French police were alerted immediately, as is the norm in such incidents.
The two employees in the money van were not injured but very shocked. Witnesses who were threatened also received psychological support, according to police.
This is not the first time money delivery vehicles have been targeted in the region. In May 2017, a van carrying more than CHF40 million ($41.6 million) in cash and gemstones was robbed on the highway near the town of Nyon. The thieves, who were from the French city of Lyon, fled to France where they were later arrested. In December 2015, two money couriers were attacked in the town of Bussigny close to Thursday’s robbery. The loot amounted to more than CHF2 million.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
What Trump’s return or a new Harris administration would mean for Switzerland
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
This content was published on
One million francs, 34 million euros and around 830 kilos of gold: this is the fortune that two Swiss nationals are accused of having moved across borders for at least four years.
Girls in female-dominated classes earn more later on
This content was published on
At the age of 30, women from school classes with a 55% share of girls earn $350 more per year than women from classes with a 45% share of girls.
This content was published on
Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a downturn in performance for the first half of its 2024/25 financial year. Both sales and profit declined.
COP29: Swiss NGOs call for strong financial support
This content was published on
Ahead of COP29, Swiss NGOs call for wealthy nations to pay $1,000 billion a year to help other countries solve climate problems.
Real Swiss wages likely to rise in 2025, says UBS bank
This content was published on
Higher wages and falling inflation are likely to boost Swiss purchasing power, which will be dragged back by rising health premiums.
This content was published on
Switzerland has a new tectonic map at a scale of 1:500,000, containing updates to geometry, distribution and nomenclature of the tectonic units.
This content was published on
Swiss artist Daniel Spoerri, known for his artworks using leftover food with dirty cutlery and crockery, has passed away in Vienna at the age of 94.
Climate change tipped to alter Swiss avalanche patterns by 2100
This content was published on
Climate change is expected to result in fewer avalanches overall in Switzerland but to increase the danger of wet snow avalanches by 2100.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
The Great Swiss Post Heist of 1997
This content was published on
The “post heist of the century” is one of the most spectacular cases in Swiss crime history and the stuff of movie scripts.
Switzerland’s most infamous bank robber to be released from prison
This content was published on
Almost 19 years after his last arrest, a Zurich cantonal court has accepted Portmann’s application for parole. His latest “job” was a bank robbery in Horn in canton Thurgau with two accomplices, after escaping from a prison in canton Graubünden. He was handed a nine-year prison sentence for this heist. The 59-year-old has not served…
This content was published on
The criminal court in Renens sentenced a 45 year-old Serbian woman today to ten years imprisonment for her involvement in four jewellery heists between 2009 and 2011.
This content was published on
A Frenchman working for a Swiss money transport firm has handed over tens of millions of francs to kidnappers in a car park in canton Vaud.
This content was published on
The gang used two black cars in their daring raid late Monday, grabbed the cache of 120 parcels containing the stones and sped off into the darkness, said Anja Bijnens, spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office. “They tried to pass themselves off as police officers,” Bijnens added. They reportedly wore outfits which resembled dark police…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.