A group of men stole 35 lakh rupees from two automated teller machines (ATMs) in the districts of Ernakulam and Thrissur in Kerala. The men first struck at an ATM in Kerala’s Ernakulam district located in Thrippunithura, where they made off with 25 lakh rupees. They then stole 10 lakh rupees from an ATM located in Koratty of Thrissur district.
Following this, the men pulled down the shutter of the ATM and fled.
Police officials investigating the case have stated that CCTV footage reveals that one member of the gang walked into the ATM kiosk and spray-painted the lens of the security cameras present inside before committing the crime.
The men arrived at the spot in a pick-up van and used a gas-cutter to break open the first kiosk in Ernakulam to steal the cash before doing the same at another private bank’s ATM in Thrissur district.
“A tree in front of the ATM helped the burglars to execute the operation easily as it blocked a clear view of the ATM. The camera system was also compromised as the burglars sprayed a liquid on the secondary camera,” Sub-Inspector KR Biju of Hill Palace police station told the media.
Similar attempts were also made in Kottayam on the ATMs of State Bank of India and South Indian Bank. It was reported that while the CCTV cameras in both the ATMs were noted to be damaged considerably and an attempt to steal money from the machines was undertaken, bank officials stated that there was no missing cash.
Officials investigating the case say that the similarities in all the events suggest that one gang must have been involved in the crimes.
The police have managed to identify one of the men from one of the videos. In addition to this, a team of forensic experts have also collected fingerprints from the crime scene. Police are actively investigating the case to apprehend the criminals.