₹50 lakh stolen from van carrying cash to ATM in Kerala

The van involved in the incident belongs to a private agency, Secure Valley. Notably, it arrived at the location without security personnel.

The van from which ₹50 lakh, which was meant to fill an ATM, was stolen in Uppala in Kasaragod district of Kerala. Photo: Special Arrangement

In a brazen daylight theft, ₹50 lakh was stolen from a van that was taking the money to fill cash vending machines, at Uppala in Kasaragod in Kerala on Wednesday.

The incident occurred outside an ATM of the Axis Bank around 2 p.m..

The van involved in the incident belongs to a private agency, Secure Valley. Notably, it arrived at the location without security personnel.

An officer of the Manjeshwar police station said the theft occurred due to a security lapse on the part of the private agency’s staff. “The staff had to fill ₹20 lakh in a bank ATM, but they took out two bundles of ₹50 lakh each. They took one bundle to the ATM and left one on the back seat of the vehicle. Though the vehicle was locked, there was no one inside it and there was no grille on the rear windows,” said the officer. The thief broke the right side rear window and took away the cash bundle kept there, he said.

The police apprehended the driver and seized the van.

District Police Chief P Bijoy told media that there is indication that only one person was behind the robbery. Many CCTVs in the area are not working due to road construction work. The Manjeshwar police have initiated an investigation focusing on some active CCTVs.

(With PTI inputs)