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The Commissionerate Police-Bhubaneswar on Saturday claimed to have cracked the ATM loot that previously occurred in the wee hours of January 24 under Lingaraj police limits in the Capital City. Police have arrested six persons in connection with the ATM heist.
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“We have arrested six persons in connection with the ATM loot case, of which two have criminal antecedents, including murder. We seized Rs 1.6 Lakh, a vehicle, and several other incriminating instruments from their possession. Similar ATM loot was conducted in 2022, and these criminals were involved in the heist. The modus operandi was the same in both cases,” Twin City Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh said in a presser.
Quick recap of the ATM heist
The suspects, some of whom are believed to be local criminals, had dismantled an ATM at Sriram Nagar locality and later dumped the teller machine at Gangua Canal of Daya River near Samantarapur and had successfully decamped with the cash inside. However, their actions were captured on CCTV cameras, leading to their eventual capture.
“Security personnel play a crucial role in safeguarding ATMs, and we are constantly working to raise awareness on their importance. However, there are several ATMs in Bhubaneswar located in isolated areas, where the security arrangement is inadequate. These sites often lack proper network connectivity, CCTV surveillance, and regular visits by patrolling vehicles,” former DCP-Bhubaneswar Pinak Mishra had said earlier.
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Worth mentioning, CCTV footage from the crime scene had revealed the masked miscreants uprooting the cash-loaded ATM machine, loading it onto a stolen auto-rickshaw, and later fleeing from the spot. The footage provided substantial clues leading to the arrests.
