Could such a large-scale banking heist have been carried out from outside without help from someone within the bank? Just three weeks after Chinese hackers stole millions of rupees from various cash machines in Kathmandu, police have arrested 12 persons, including some hundi operators, for their involvement in stealing money from the Lahan branch of Nepal Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) and Panos Remit, Baneshwor. They were arrested from Kathmandu on September 22 after getting a tip-off about the robbery from the staffers of Panos Remit. A group of operators, led by a man identified as Peter, who lives in Mumbai, stole Rs 47.3 million from the Lahan branch of the ADB and Rs 1.2 million from Panos Remit. Police said Peter, the mastermind behind the bank heist, had assigned 12 Nepalis as agents, who were told to open current accounts in the ADB to deposit the stolen amounts and transfer them to India through hundi to him, an African. One of those arrested, Lawang Tamang, 43, confessed to police that they had opened current accounts at nine locations of the bank, including Lahan in the Tarai, from where the money was stolen. Peter, who is still absconding, had promised the Nepali agents a commission of up to 35 per cent of the stolen money. Police have also arrested one Indian, Shubankar Panja, 30, of Kolkata, on charges of illegally transferring Rs 100,000 of the stolen money to India through hundi. Police said the gang had planned to steal Rs 5 billion from various banks. It is believed that the gang had stolen money from the bank between April and the time until they were arrested on September 22. Police believe the hackers operating from Mumbai were using a malware to obtain information of the bank and steal credentials, which were used to rob the bank accounts. Police and bank officials said that in such cases, the malware not only stays hidden but also conceals itself as a legitimate bank security system. Then the hackers breached the bank’s system, using a password from the Lahan branch to log in. As the bank officials also do not know how the robber managed to breach the security system, they have formed a four-member probe panel to look into the case. ADB Deputy General Manager Dirgha Aryal, however, asked the customers not to worry about their money as the amount was stolen from the bank’s treasury, not from the customers’ accounts. The two recent bank heists have exposed the vulnerability of the Nepal’s banking system as it has not been able to update the software to stonewall the emerging malwares that make the banking system dysfunctional. After Chinese nationals stole millions of rupees from the cash machines three weeks ago, Nepal Rastra Bank had issued a circular to all banks to update their security system. A thorough investigation should also be launched to detect what went wrong in the banking system. Collusion of some bank staffers in the recent banking heist cannot be ruled out as it would have been difficult for anyone to carry it out from outside without their support. People will be losing confidence in the Nepali banking system if such incidents recur time and again. Petty measures such as cancelling inter-banking transaction and capping the withdrawal limit to Rs 60,000 a day will not help improve banking security. Migrants’ security Migrant workers are returning home in droves for the Dashain festival. People save some money and make it a point to return to their parental homes to receive blessings from their parents and elders. Apart from the Gulf countries and Korea, a large number of Nepalis also work in India, and they are returning home with some cash and goods to mark the festival. But they are often targeted by thugs on either side of the border. This blatant thuggery has been a recurring experience year after year, especially in the western part of Nepal, and it should be no different this year if appropriate security measures are not put in place. It is good that this time the security personnel at the Nepalgunj-based Jamunaha entry point as well as the Indian counterpart have been alerted to prevent any harassment and hassles. Apart from the border points, the authorities must see to it that the migrant workers are not harassed into giving ‘donations’ on the way home by the cadres of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Nepal Communist Party, who are learnt to have started an extortion drive in its strongholds in mid-west and far-west Nepal.