Robbers dig in, loot 30 bank lockers

BANK OF BARODA BRANCH IN NAVI MUMBAI ROBBED OF VALUABLES, MOSTLY GOLD AND DIAMONDS, WORTH ~6 CR OVER THE WEEKEND

NAVIMUMBAI:IN a plot straight out of a Hollywood heist film, thieves dug a tunnel under a Navi Mumbai bank, broke into 30 lockers and stole valuables worth at least ~6 crore, police said.

Officials at Bank of Baroda’s Sanpada branch came in to work on Monday and found the broken lockers and a gaping hole under them, police said.

After examining the hole, they found it led to a 30-feet long tunnel that opened into a shop a short distance away from the bank.

According to the police, the shop, a general store called Shri Balaji that was opened in May, was bought by one Gena Bachchan Prasad, a native of Jharkand, a few months ago. “The tenant has been missing ever since the incident came to light. We have procured the agreement and are now looking for him,” a senior investigating officer said. The police, however, said that in such cases, people give out fake names and identity proofs.

While the police are unsure of who the suspects are, they have made some observations about the way the act was carried out.

The tunnel, which was fivefeet underground, started from the general store and reached the locker room, which was two shops away — in between was the bank’s ATM and the office of a security agency.

“After digging one part of the tunnel, the culprits put plywood on the upper side, which was supported by small bamboo sticks. Then they went on to dig another part. They did this to ensure they were not buried underground during the act,” said the senior investigating officer.

The tunnel’s radius was around 1.5 feet and one person could hardly pass through it, police said.

Hemant Nagrale, police commissioner of Navi Mumbai, said the bank had 225 lockers and the culprits broke into 30 of them.

Police sources said the culprits mostly stole gold and diamond jewellery deposited mostly by the residents of the area.

“The bank had CCTV cameras in the other rooms. However, there were none inside the locker room to respect the privacy of customers,” said Kiran Patil, assistant commissioner of police (Nerul) division.