Bank, SLA investigate theft attempt

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 January 1999, 15:14 GMT]
Officials from the head office of the Bank of Ceylon in Colombo and from the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) went to Mannar today to probe an attempt to rob fifty million Sri Lankan rupees sent by the bank's Mannar branch to the Thallaady army camp on Thursday for safe keeping.

Sources said that the People's Bank and the Bank of Ceylon in Mannar town had been instructed by the authorities to send their moneys at the end of every working day to the SLA base at Thallaady for safe keeping.

The Thallaady base stands by the eastern side of the causeway that links the Mannar island to the mainland.

It was found on Friday that somebody had tried, during midnight or the early hours of the morning, to break into the building where the money from the banks was normally kept.

This building according to SLA sources was close to the brigade headquarters in the base.

They said that the attempt seems to have been well organised and co-ordinated given the fact that this happened in the heart of the camp, despite the sentries, electronic security systems etc.,

"It is definitely an inside job" said a bank official in Mannar.