A sum of TL 2.5 million ($134,000) was stolen from a private bank in the Şişli district of Istanbul at around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Two people who entered the bank pretending to be customers stole a sack left behind the counter, allegedly containing approximately TL 2.5 million worth of foreign currency and Turkish lira, before fleeing the scene. The bank employees realized the theft had occurred an hour and a half later. It was established that the suspect who took the sack had crawled on the floor and through a space leading to behind the counter, Turkish media outlets reported.
According to reports, the two suspects, whose identities have yet to be determined, drove to the bank and parked on the street. After entering the bank, one of the suspects served as the lookout while the other snuck into the section where money is handled without the bank employees noticing.
The suspect, wearing a hat so that his face would not be detected by the security cameras, took the sack left behind the counter and returned to his friend who was waiting for him.
The duo then walked out of the bank as if nothing had happened and drove off in the car they had arrived in.
An hour and a half later when a staff member went behind the counter to get the sack and couldn't find it, bank officials were informed and they began to examine the security footage. After catching the criminals in the act on the footage, the bank authorities reported the situation to the police.
The police launched an investigation at the crime scene and took fingerprints from surfaces that the suspects may have touched.
A police search operation is also underway to catch the two suspects, whose descriptions were established with the help of security cameras.
