CHENNAI: An ATM machine containing cash was stolen from Koodapakkam near Vellavedu in Tiruvallur district on Saturday. Police suspect the machine contained around Rs 5-Rs 10 lakh, though the exact amount is yet to be confirmed.
According to police sources, customers who came to withdraw cash on Saturday morning found the Hitachi ATM, installed by a private bank along the Chennai-Tirupati NH, missing. They alerted bank officials, who informed Vellavedu police.
Subsequently, a police team led by the Poonamallee assistant commissioner inspected the spot. Fingerprint experts and a sniffer dog were pressed into service. Police also collected CCTV footage from nearby areas and questioned residents to identify the suspects and the vehicle used to transport the machine.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the ATM had no security guard. Police suspect the burglars disabled the alarm and tampered with the CCTV camera before using a welding machine to cut through the structure and remove the entire ATM along with the cash.
Unlike previous ATM thefts, in which offenders broke open the machines to access the cash, the entire machine was removed in this case, police said. Police are verifying the cash balance with the bank and examining CCTV footage to trace the suspects. A case has been registered based on a complaint from the Hitachi branch manager and further investigation is under way.