KARACHI, Jan 11: Four armed men intercepted the vehicle of a foreign exchange firm in a Gulistan-i-Jauhar locality and snatched $24,000 roughly Rs2.16million on Wednesday, police said.

SSP East Khadim Rind said that a woman called the office of the Galaxy Money Changer and said that she wanted to exchange dollars for local currency. She asked the company to send a representative to a private bank branch near Jauhar Chowrangi, where she was present, due to security considerations. Subsequently, a representative of the money changer along with three security guards left for the bank branch in a cash van, a Suzuki Hi-Roof, he added.

After carrying out the transaction, they were heading back to their office when four armed men riding two motorcycles intercepted the van, held the staff and the guards at gunpoint and snatched the cash, the SSP added.

He said that the robbers also took away the rifles of two security guards.

'We are investigating the matter and it appears that someone leaked the information,' he added.

The police were also trying to get help from the footage of the closed-circuit television cameras placed on the route.

Till late in the night, no case was registered at the Sharea Faisal police station.