Container with Rs 20 lakh in coins of bank without escort

Coimbatore, Aug 24 (PTI) In yet another instance of cashbeing transported in a casual manner, a mini container lorrywith coins of a public sector bank, valued at Rs 20 lakh, wasfound without an escort and reportedly manned by a drunkdriver. Police said the vehicle sped past a check post and wasbrought to a halt after they gave chase and intercepted it. The driver, who was drunk, said the lorry had come fromChennai to this city with Rs 20 lakh in coins, meant to bedistributed to Syndicate bank’s branches here. Police said there was no escort vehicle for the minicontainer lorry. The vehicle was released after the driver produceddocuments to substantiate his claims. He was fined for drunkendriving and the lorry was allowed to proceed with policeescort, they added. In the run up to the Tamil Nadu assembly polls, electoralofficials had seized about Rs 570 crore from three containersduring a check in nearby Tirupur district on May 14. The occupants of the vehicles had claimed it was meant tobe transferred from the State Bank of India, Coimbatore to itsVishakapatnam branches. On August 9, in a daring heist in a moving train, Rs fivecrore out of Rs 340 crore cash being sent to RBI here fromSalem in Tamil Nadu was found stolen. The incident came to light when four of the 226 boxesstacked with the cash were found tampered with on arrival ofthe train in Chennai. PTI NVM ROH APRSMJ