Surat: Thieves stole more than Rs 40 lakh in cash and other valuables after gaining access to the vault of a Union Bank of India branch near Kim Crossroads in Surat by cutting through a side wall, police said. 

According to police, the robbers were able to stole the contents of six of the 75 lockers present there in the bank premises. 

‘Rs 40 Lakh, Ganesha Idol, Jewellery Stolen…’

The thieves accessed the locker room by making a two-foot hole in the wall. They disabled the surveillance cameras by cutting the cables and tampered with the bank’s alarm system, which failed to trigger during the heist. 

Authorities believe the burglars were inside the bank for approximately three hours, raiding six of the 75 lockers, while around 35 lockers were left untouched.

“The theft seems to have been carried out by professionals and someone who knew the premises may have provided intelligence. Multiple police teams are working to identify the theives,” a police officer said.

Out of the six lockers the thieves broke into, three were empty. One locker, belonging to an NRI, contained a Ganesha idol, while another had jewellery worth Rs 40 lakh missing. 

Burglars Drilled Wall of Adjacent Office

Police said that they are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby roads and highways for clues. 

Cops suspect that around five individuals were involved in the crime, based on unclear visuals from a remote camera. 

“An electric cutter used to break into the lockers was found at the scene. Behind the bank, there is a large open area with a one-room office belonging to the property owner, which shares a common wall with the bank’s back wall. The burglars broke into the office through a fibre door and then drilled a hole in the wall to access the bank,” police said.  

According to officials, the hole was large enough for a slender person to enter the locker room directly. Since it was night, there was no one around the back of the bank, and no sounds of the wall or lockers being broken were heard. 

A case has been registered and further investigation is underway, they said.