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A daring heist involving a gang of ATM robbers utilizing gas cutters to breach security measures has been thwarted by the police in Tamil Nadu, culminating in a shootout that left one suspect dead and a police officer injured. The incident, which unfolded across state lines, highlights the escalating tactics employed by criminals targeting financial institutions. According to police reports, the gang, suspected of being responsible for robbing approximately Rs 65 lakh from three ATMs in Kerala's Thrissur district, was apprehended while attempting to flee towards Namakkal in Tamil Nadu.
The Kerala police, having been alerted to the gang's activities, issued an alert to their counterparts in Tamil Nadu. Acting on this intelligence, the Tamil Nadu police intercepted the gang's container truck, leading to a confrontation that erupted into a shootout. During the exchange of gunfire, one of the robbers was fatally wounded, while a police officer sustained injuries. The remaining members of the gang were apprehended, and the truck, containing the stolen cash along with a white car believed to have been used in the ATM robberies, was seized.
The meticulously planned operation of the four-member gang, who carried out their heists between 2 am and 4 am on a Friday, involved targeting ATMs belonging to the State Bank of India (SBI). The three ATMs, situated within a 25-kilometer radius in Thrissur district, were systematically compromised using a consistent modus operandi. The gang, masked and equipped with gas cutters, would first disable the CCTV cameras by spraying them with black paint. They then used the gas cutters to force entry into the ATMs, accessing the cash compartments and making off with the contents.
The gang's brazenness was evident in their swift execution of the robberies. Despite the police being alerted during the robbery of the ATM at Naikkanal Shornur Road, the gang managed to escape before the police arrived. However, their escape proved temporary as the police, determined to bring the perpetrators to justice, issued an alert to neighboring districts in Kerala, as well as to Coimbatore, Krishnagiri, and Salem in Tamil Nadu. This coordinated effort resulted in the gang's eventual apprehension in Tamil Nadu.
The investigation into the gang's activities is ongoing, and authorities are actively pursuing leads that could link them to other ATM robberies that have been reported in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The modus operandi employed by the gang, utilizing gas cutters to gain access to ATMs, has become a recurring theme in recent robberies, highlighting the need for financial institutions to strengthen security measures and law enforcement agencies to collaborate effectively to combat these criminal activities.
Source: Tamil Nadu: ATM robbers who used gas cutters to break into machines nabbed