Pune, 4th July 2025: In a strange twist to a high-value burglary attempt, a thief who broke into a forex exchange office in Balewadi and escaped with a safe containing foreign currency worth nearly $1.953 million (approx ₹16 crore), ended up abandoning the loot just 300 metres away after failing to balance it on his motorcycle.
The incident took place around 3 am on Wednesday at a commercial complex in Balewadi. The stolen safe was later discovered unopened and intact in an open plot near Yashada Chowk. A complaint was filed with the Baner Police by the owner of the forex office, Rohit Malusare (40), a forex trader residing in Somwar Peth.
Senior Inspector Chandrashekhar Sawant of Baner Police Station said that CCTV footage from the building, the office, and nearby shops revealed key details of the attempted theft.
“The footage clearly shows the suspect arriving on a motorcycle and breaking into the office. He struggled considerably while trying to drag the heavy safe outside and load it onto his two-wheeler,” said Inspector Sawant. Despite the difficulty, the thief managed to ride away with the safe, taking advantage of the absence of a security guard at the complex.
The getaway, however, didn’t last long. According to police, another CCTV camera 200 metres away showed the man still riding with the safe. But footage from a third camera, located 100 metres further, showed him without it.
“This helped us narrow down the area. We searched between the two locations and eventually found the safe dumped in some bushes on an open plot,” Inspector Sawant explained.
Police confirmed that the safe was unopened and all foreign currency notes were recovered intact. Investigators believe the thief abandoned the safe after realizing he couldn’t carry it any further without drawing attention.
“We are currently working to identify the accused based on the CCTV footage and other technical leads,” said Sawant, adding that efforts are on to trace and arrest the suspect. Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward and assist in the investigation.
