Chennai: A robbery bid at Axis Bank in Ramapuram late last night was thwarted by an alert security team from Mumbai who was monitoring the bank and ATM remotely through CCTV cameras.
Speaking to News Today, sources from the bank said the thieves first entered the ATM attached to it at around 3 am on the pretext of withdrawing money and recced the area. After making sure that no one was around, they returned with gas cutters and attempted breaking into the bank through one of the windows.
Fortunately, the thieves failed to notice the CCTV camera pointed in their direction. The footage from the cameras was being live uploaded to the Axis Bank’s main security control centre in Mumbai through IPTV (internet protocol television) network. An alert security expert in Mumbai saw the unusual activity and triggered the alarm.
However, the thieves had reportedly broken the alarm and continued their robbery attempt for a few more minutes. Meanwhile, the security in charge in Mumbai also called the Police Control room and alerted them of the situation in Chennai. Following this, the control room immediately dispatched Rayala Nagar Police to the spot.
By the time the police arrived, the thieves had already left the premises leaving only the gas cylinder, cutters and other metal tools that they had used for breaking in through the window. Police have now obtained the CCTV footages and are investigating the case. Sources from the department said they are looking into suspect individuals with similar modus operandi of robbery using gas cutters.
It could be recalled that in May, burglars broke into a branch of Indian Overseas Bank in Virugambakkam here and stole Rs 30 lakh in cash and gold jewellery. The police had apprehended a security guard from the bank who had fled to Nepal.