Thieves steal Rs 7.91 lakh from ATM in Naranpura

Ahmedabad: A group of thieves broke into an ATM on Mirambika Road early on Thursday morning and stole Rs 7.91 lakh from the machine. Investigators suspect the thieves used a gas cutter to cut through the front of the machine and reach the currency notes, as a few burned notes were found left behind.
According to Naranpura police, the theft was reported when workers of a logistics company arrived at the Bank of Maharashtra ATM to refill it.The officials found the machine open and the cash gone. As senior officers reached the spot, Minesh Mehta, a resident of Vejalpur, and the manager of the logistics company, registered a complaint for the theft of Rs 7.91 lakh, after assessing the transactions in the last 24 hours and the money deposited the previous day.
"We suspect the theft took place soon after 3.15 am on Thursday, as the cameras nearby were damaged at around 3.25 am. Apart from the camera on the machine, the thieves also targeted a camera outside a hotel, just opposite the ATM. It is suspected that the thieves used a car from the few images recovered from the cameras," said a Naranpura police official.
Officials said that a camera just outside the kiosk was not functional for the last two years. Bank officials have been given a notice over this, for flouting the city police commissioner's notification. The bank also had no guards deployed at the kiosk.
"It is possible that the group used an electricity outlet inside the kiosk to operate the gas cutter. It may have taken between 15 and 30 minutes to cut through the thick metal plate and reach the money. A search for gangs in Gujarat and other states using this modus operandi is under way," said the official.
JCP Sector I, R R Bhagat, and DCP Zone I, Bipin Ahire, visited the crime scene to examine the unusual modus operandi.
Attacks on ATMs: A few successes, a lot more failures
City police officials said that in the last five years, more than 30 ATMs have been targeted in Ahmedabad city alone. While a few were just amateur attempts, in a few incidents, sums of up to Rs 10 lakh were stolen by professional gangs. Officials said at some places, including Isanpur, the modus operandi of using gas cutters was seen. However, in most of these cases, the thieves could not cut through the metal entirely for lack of time.
"Crime branch busted a gang in 2014, which admitted to stealing entire ATMs, breaking up the machine and then disposing of it in Narmada canals across the state. Apart from that one breakthrough, a few other organized gangs have been busted," said an official.
Officials added that usually ATMs on the outskirts of the city are targeted and it is surprising that this particular ATM in Naranpura was targeted as it is on a relatively busy road.