Thieves raid rural bank vault in Sigiriya area

Over Rs. 270,000 in cash and 20 pounds of gold were stolen from the vault of the Inamaluwa Rural Bank, which belongs to the Rangiri Dambulla Multipurpose Cooperative Society.

Sigiriya Police report that the thieves broke into the premises and bypassed the security measures to access the valuables.

Initial investigations reveal that the suspects entered the bank on the night of the 1st by breaking the doors and utilised grinders to cut open the fixed vault.

The stolen items included cash deposits and gold jewelry pledged by the public as collateral.

Police inquiries uncovered that the bank branch lacked a security guard, and the CCTV system remained inactive during the days surrounding the theft.

Authorities expressed regret that such security lapses existed despite frequent warnings issued to bank officials during regional security committee meetings to strengthen protection at financial institutions.

Further investigations by the Sigiriya Police are underway.