Two men who robbed 1.329 million yuan (US$160,700) in cash from a vehicle on which bank employees were carrying the money on Wednesday were captured by police early Thursday morning.

Police of the Jilin Province, northeast China, have recovered all the robbed money, and further investigation into the case is still under way.

The robbery occurred at about 5 p.m. Wednesday when a vehicle carrying bank employees guards and the cash was running on a highway in Panshi City. The robbers plundered 1.329 million yuan, a baton gun and four bullets.

The two men got a lift on the cash-carrying van and looted the bank notes after they stabbed Wang Sen, male, the 19-year-old cash carrier, to death, and injured escort Xu Fengwei, 20, and the driver Ma Wenbin.

Sun Feng, one of the two looters, was seized by police not long after the robbery. Yang Chao, who ran away with the cash, was captured in Panshi City at about 8 a.m. Thursday. Police recovered all the looted money and the gun.

Initial investigations show that Yang Chao, 21, a native of Mingcheng Town of Panshi City, formerly served as an escort at the Panshi City Security Company, but was fired one month ago. He later served as security man at a local company.

Sun Feng, 24, a native of Panshi City, is a guard of a local bank.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2004)