It’s common for people to use YouTube to learn a new recipe, make-up, and art. But, one YouTube user in India took it a notch higher and used the video platform to teach himself how to rob a bank.
According to Indian news reports, frustrated with losses incurred during the COVID-19 lockdown, 25-year-old Soumyaranjan Jena, from the Indian state of Odisha, learned robbery techniques from Youtube videos before managing to rob two banks of Rs12 lakh (Dh60,128).
According to the police, Jena who was detained on Monday, owns a shop in his village where he sells sarees, shoes, and other items. His monthly turnover before the lockdown was Rs9 lakh (Dh45,106). However, his business suffered during the lockdown.
The man had taken a bank loan of Rs19 lakh (Dh95,225), which he was unable to repay.
It was then that he decided to watch YouTube videos on how to rob a bank. According to a police official: “He got the idea after watching YouTube videos.”
The official added that using a toy gun, Jena managed to rob the Indian Overseas Bank and the Bank of India, where he had accounts. He told news media outlets: “The accused used a toy gun to rob the two banks. He had looted nearly Rs12 lakh from the Indian Overseas Bank, near Infocity area on September 7, and the Bank of India’s Barimunda branch in Mancheswar area on September 28.”
After looting, he repaid a part of the loan. Police tracked him down and detained him on Monday, October 5. The official added that cops recovered over Rs10 lakh (Dh50,099), toy guns, and a vehicle from him.
