KASARGOD: Thieves made an attempt to rob Kerala Gramin Bank's Mulleria branch in the early hours of Tuesday, said police. Adhur sub-inspector Santhosh Kumar said they cut open the window grilles and entered the bank, but could not crack the safe where gold ornaments and money were kept.
He went on to add that the thieves snapped the wire of one alarm, but might not have seen the wire to the second alarm.
"When they tried to open the safe, the second alarm outside the building buzzed, alerting the 'Gurkha' in town," he said. On hearing the alarm, the thieves must have scooted the scene, and the Gurkha called the police.
"We rushed to the bank and found nothing was lost," the officer said. The thieves left behind two crowbars and a hand drill, Kumar said. Fingerprint experts would be called in to collect evidence, he said. The surveillance camera inside the bank has captured two persons, but the visuals are too grainy, he said.
Heists in 2015
On September 7, 2015, Kudlu Service Cooperative Bank in Kasargod was robbed during lunch break. A motorcycle-borne gang wearing masks threatened two employees and robbed Rs 12.50 lakh in cash and 17.684kg of gold ornaments pledged with it. Police have arrested all the suspects and recovered 15.424 kg of gold.
In the weekend of September 26 and 27, 2015, another gang burgled Vijaya Bank in Cheruvathur. They decamped with 20kg of gold ornaments and Rs 2.95 lakh in cash. Police arrested six persons and recovered the gold. On November 23, 2016, Kasargod chief judicial first class magistrate found five of them guilty and sentenced them to 10 years rigorous imprisonment, and acquitted one person. One more accused is on the run, said police.