Senior citizen takes NINE sacks of change to the bank after saving since the 1970s

This is the heartwarming moment a senior citizen finally raided his piggy bank and took nine sacks of change to the bank after saving since the 1970s.

This is the heartwarming moment a senior citizen finally raided his piggy bank and took nine sacks of change to the bank after saving since the 1970s.

Palyuri Biok, 81, first began stuffing coins into old rice sacks after he was mugged in 1971 in West Sumatra province, Indonesia.

He filled nine huge bags with various notes and coins over the years – refusing to use banks and keeping them stashed in his home.

However, he finally asked friends to help him clear out his single-storey property because all his junk was taking up too much space.

Silver-haired Palyuri, seen here with in a black and white shirt shaking the hand of a bank employee, agreed to go digital and his neighbours helped to count the money on Tuesday morning (February 23).

They tallied up more than 100 million Rupiah – around $7,100 – which they took to shocked cashiers at the local bank branch, where Palyuri opened his first current account.

Palyuri said: "I don’t know how to use the bank but my neighbours said it would be safer there.

They will help me to learn how to use the ATM.

"Having my money at home was easy but sometimes I would forget where things were, or there would be too many things to move to find it." One of Palyuri’s friends, Heri Iswandi, said most of the money was saved from the 1990s, but there were some notes that go back to 1971.

He said: "Palyuri only spends money on the important things such as food and clothing.

He lives a simple life." As the old man’s cash took nine bags in all, they had to make two trips on a rickshaw to the bank before the money was counted by the staff.

Five sacks were filled with coins while four contained banknotes, but part of the last sack out of the nine was not accepted by the bank as they had been damaged by rats and cockroaches.

Around $800 worth of currency was in there.

Heri added that that the old man started to become even more protective of his money when he was robbed seven years ago.

He said: "Palyuri became protective of his money because he was traumatized.

He was scared of losing it again.

"The thief was on a motorbike and stopped while he was walking home.

He threatened to stab my friend if he did not give his money then the thief took everything." Bank security guard Afrianto Polong said he was about to go home when he saw the old man and his neighbours approaching their office on a rickshaw.

He said: "I was amazed upon seeing the amount of cash in their vehicle.

I helped them carry the money into the bank." The bank tellers were surprised upon seeing the bags of cash being brought in so they made a makeshift tent where they counted the bills and coins from the old man.

The bank was able to count 80 million Rupiah so far, but the staff estimated the old man’s savings could reach 100 million.