By GREGG WYCHERLEY
Life has got a lot tougher for the criminal fraternity, with a fleet of new high-tech armoured vans hitting the road.
The vans are part of a new cash processing and transit service involving a partnership between multinational firm Group 4 Security and the ANZ and ASB banks.
Group 4 Security NZ managing director David Kneale said the high robbery rate - about 30 armoured vehicles were raided in the past year - meant the company had seen a need for better cash delivery methods.
Group 4 had recently taken over the Reserve Bank's cash distribution role and the new vans would be used to transport large amounts of cash to banks all over the country.
Mr Kneale said up to 30 of the $150,000 Mercedes vans would be working in New Zealand within the next six months.
Each van is equipped to withstand attack from all but the most heavily armed and dedicated crook, with a host of gadgets that would make James Bond envious.
The vans' positions are monitored every 90 seconds using a global positioning system (GPS) from a base in Rotorua.
They are fitted with 28mm bulletproof glass obtained from the Russian military, special anti-cutting compound paint and gas masks. The cabs are armoured at a factory in the Czech Republic to withstand attack from an AK-47.
Special "smoke and dye" boxes automatically ignite if they are tampered with, destroying the cash inside and covering anyone who touches the contents with indelible dye.
There had only ever been one successful robbery of such a van, Mr Kneale said, when thieves in Luxembourg used a missile launcher to penetrate the armoured cab, killing all three staff.
He did not expect any such attacks in New Zealand, and police supported the system.
Cash cabs step up security
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