Great train heist: Robbers decamp with Rs 5.78 cr belonging to RBI from moving train in TN

The train was carrying Rs 340 cr in more than 220 cartons boxes when the robbery took place.

Chennai: In what appears to be a plot from a Hollywood flick, unidentified robbers managed to sneak into a coach in a running train in Tamil Nadu in which currencies worth Rs 342 crore was being transported to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). 

The incident happened on late August 8 when the train was on its way from Salem to Chennai. 

According to a News18 report, currencies worth Rs 5.78 crore belonging to RBI have been robbed from the train. A police source said that the robbers cut a hole in the roof of the train to steal old soiled currency notes.

As per the report, the train was carrying currencies, reportedly belonging to a few public sector banks, in 226 boxes and was being transported to hand over to RBI. Approximately Rs 342 crore was being transported in various cartons kept in two separate compartments of the train.

The heist came to light after the train reached the Egmore station at around 4 am on Tuesday morning. Cops found that at least two boxes containing the soiled currency notes had been tempered with. 

However, it remains unclear at which spot the thieves managed to sneak out the cash boxes in the nearly 350 km long journey, the train took on Monday night.

The police are trying to verify if the train was halted anywhere else during its journey or the robbers had managed to enter the coach before the train began its journey.