Indian Detectives In Search Of Termite Bandits

This week, some Indian detectives are working on a rather tough case - Searching for the termite bandits who stole or should we say chewed up a large horde of cash! Their only clue? A trail of dust!

The bizarre tale that occurred in the State Bank Of India's Barabanki branch in Uttar Pradesh, was revealed when the newly appointed manager opened the steel chest that had housed about 10 million Rupees ($220,000 USD) since January. To his surprise, there were no currency notes inside the chest. All it contained was a pile of dust - the kind left behind after termites have had a feast.

Though the furniture and bank documents at the aging wood stuctured branch have been the victims of this army of insects in the past, this is the first time they have managed to get to the currency.

Red-faced officials still can't fathom how the insects got through the reinforced room where the chest lay and then inside it to get to the money. But, you can rest assured that Indian detectives are looking into it and will find and punish the culprits, as soon as, they can crack the mystery!

Termites are tiny insects that have been around since the time of dinosaurs. These highly social animal that lives and work in groups, need to eat 24-hours a day and are notorious for munching through buildings, furniture and almost anything they can get their hands on. It is estimated that every year, these pests damage property worth about $2 million USD. The worst part is, they can live in any kind of climatic conditions, which means that no part of the world is immune to them.

Resources: telegraph.co.uk, csmonitor.com