Assistant Manager and Security Officer Arrested Over Rs. 35 Million Bank Robbery in Horana
According to the Peliyagoda North Crimes Division, detention orders are expected to be obtained against the two suspects on June 6 as investigations continue.
Preliminary inquiries have revealed that the assistant manager had allegedly incurred substantial debts due to excessive spending, including maintaining relationships with several women, among them models. Investigators believe his financial difficulties may have been a motive behind the crime.
The incident reportedly occurred on June 3. Initially, two security officers informed the bank manager that a pedestrian had robbed the assistant manager of two cash bags while he was transporting money from the bank to two service centers.
Following the report, the manager inspected the area but was unable to identify any suspicious individuals. The incident was then reported to the police through the 119 emergency hotline.
Subsequent checks confirmed that the stolen money, amounting to Rs. 35 million in Rs. 5,000 notes, had been packed in two cloth bags bearing the bank’s logo.
Early police investigations failed to uncover any significant leads, prompting the Inspector General of Police to transfer the investigation to the Peliyagoda North Crimes Division.
A detailed review of CCTV footage later showed the assistant manager removing the cash from the bank vault during the morning. However, investigators noted that he only prepared to leave the premises several hours later in the afternoon.
Police also discovered that although surveillance cameras were installed inside the bank, the exit used to leave the premises was located in an area not covered by CCTV cameras. Furthermore, footage from nearby cameras did not show any individual carrying the two cash bags away from the scene.
Based on the evidence gathered, investigators now suspect that the assistant manager, together with the security officer, staged a fake robbery and carefully planned the theft of the money.
Both suspects were arrested on June 5.
Meanwhile, the Horana Chief Magistrate has ordered authorities to obtain and analyze the suspects’ mobile phone records and has issued search warrants to inspect their residences as part of the ongoing investigation.
Police say further inquiries are underway to determine the whereabouts of the missing funds and whether additional individuals were involved in the alleged crime.
