CHENNAI: Three men hailing from Uttar Pradesh were arrested in Thiruvanmiyur on Sunday for attempting to tamper with an SBI ATM using a cardboard to block the cash dispenser. The suspects, Kuldeep Singh (26), Brijpan (30), and Sumith Yadav (33), were tracked down by the Thiruvanmiyur police after analysing CCTV footage, ATM monitoring data, and local intelligence, police said.
While police confirmed that the gang was not able to steal cash from the Thiruvanmiyur ATM, preliminary inquiries revealed that the gang may have been operating in Chennai and suburban areas over the past two months, targeting ATMs during weekends. Police officials, however, said that the quantum of money looted by the gang can be ascertained only after further investigation.
According to police, the gang members would open the ATM’s outer panel using a fake key and insert a black sheet in front of the cash dispenser to trap the money. Once customers leave the ATM after failing to get the cash, they would enter the ATM to collect the trapped money. After each operation, the gang booked rides via Uber and Ola to reach railway stations and escape to Uttar Pradesh. Fake keys, black stickers, and double-sided tape were recovered from them, police said.
The incident came to light on Sunday when Naren Kumar (34), an employee of the Hitachi ATM Services which handles the ATM kiosk, received an alert from his company’s Mumbai headquarters about suspicious activity at the ATM on Thiruvalluvar Salai in Thiruvanmiyur. Upon inspection, he found a black cardboard sheet placed inside the machine to block cash dispensation following which he reported the matter to the Thiruvanmiyur police.