Mangaluru: A robbery attempt at the Muthoot Finance branch in Derlakatte was foiled in the early hours of Sunday, following a swift police response triggered by the building’s advanced security system.

Police sources reported that three suspects, who arrived in the city by train the previous evening, waited near Derlakatte until late at night before attempting to break into the Muthoot Finance branch. Around 3 AM, they tried to force open the door of the branch, located on the upper floor of a commercial building owned by H M Timbers at Derlakatte Junction, using a drill machine. The security alarm was activated during the attempt, alerting the company’s control room, which promptly informed the police.

A police patrol team from Konaje, which was near K S Hegde Hospital at the time, rushed to the scene. By then, local residents had also gathered near the building. Two of the suspects, identified as Murali from Kanhangad and Harshad from Kasargod, were caught inside the building and were handed over to the police with the help of the public. The police also recovered the drill machine used in the crime. However, a third suspect, Abdul Latif from Kasargod, managed to escape and remains at large.

ACP Dhanya Nayak and a team led by Konaje Inspector Rajendra visited the site and conducted a thorough investigation.

Preliminary questioning of the arrested suspects revealed their involvement in a previous bank robbery at a Vijaya Bank branch in Kerala.