The Andhra Pradesh police have arrested a member of an interstate gang in connection with a recent bank robbery in Thumkunta village, Sri Sathya Sai district.

The burglary took place on July 26 at an SBI branch that was operating without a security guard, where thieves stole 10 kg of gold and Rs 38 lakh in cash.

District Superintendent of Police (SP) V Ratna confirmed the arrest of the accused, Anil Kumar Panwar, a native of Haryana. He was apprehended by special teams from the Anantapur, Chittoor, and Tirupati districts.

‘We recovered 2 kg of gold ornaments worth Rs 2 crore, along with a Honda City car and a motorcycle used in the crime,’ SP Ratna said.

According to officials, Panwar has over 14 criminal cases registered against him across multiple states and had recently completed a five-year prison sentence at Coimbatore Sub Jail, Tamil Nadu, before his release in June.

Police believe he is part of a network of habitual offenders involved in similar crimes across state lines. Another gang member, reportedly from Rajasthan, remains at large.