Manipur Bank Heist: Gunmen loot Rs. 6.49 Lakh from UCO Bank’s Kakching Branch, 5th Robbery Incident Since Violence Erupted Last Year

Masked miscreants have allegedly robbed Rs 6.49 lakh from the United Commercial Bank (UCO) Bank’s Kakching branch in Manipur.

This is the 5th bank robbery in Manipur since ethnic clashes erupted in the state on May 3, 2023, and the second bank robbery reported in the state this year.

How Did Robbers Loot the Money?

Branch Manager Lamyanba Yumnam shared the harrowing experience of how the miscreant entered the bank at gunpoint and looted the money in less than ten minutes.

He said, “In the afternoon during the closing hours of the bank, a miscreant entered the bank at gunpoint…He took the mobile phones of the staff and customers…He looted the money amounting to Rs 6.49 lakh…In less than 10 minutes from the cash counter…”

Incidents of Bank Robbery in Manipur

Earlier, in May this year, Rs 20 lakh was robbed from the SBI branch at K Salbung in Churachandpur of Manipur.

Earlier, on July 10 2023, miscreants had robbed valuables worth Rs 1.5 crore from an Axis Bank in Churachandpur.

Four days later, on July 14, 2023, in Kangpokpi district, unidentified miscreants targeted a bank and looted computers and other electronic items worth nearly Rs 1 crore.

On November 30, 2023, at least 10 unidentified armed men allegedly looted Rs 18.85 crore from the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Manipur’s Ukhrul district.

In a related incident, 4 employees from the Bank of Baroda branch located inside the Manipur University campus in Imphal were arrested for stealing gold worth Rs 4 crore from the bank in September this year.

With this the total number of bank robbery incidents in the state stands at 6, including today’s heist at UCO Bank.

Also read: Manipur’s Economy Shows Signs of Recovery, GST Collections Grow by 18% from May to September 2024: CM Biren Singh