2 days, 2 ATMs: Rs 11.5 lakh stolen in Gummidipoondi

CHENNAI: In an incident reminiscent of the ATM heist in Kancheepuram's Somangalam two days ago, robbers broke into an ATM kiosk in Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district on Wednesday and escaped with Rs 11.5 lakh cash.

Police said the gang struck an ATM on Kakkalur bypass road near Gummidipoondi.

Kiosks of two banks function in adjacent buildings. While the gang broke into one machine, they failed to breach the second, according to police sources.

The crime came to light on Wednesday morning when a customer entered the Axis Bank ATM kiosk to withdraw cash, found the machine broken open, and alerted the police.

A police team rushed to the spot and found that the gang had used a gas welding machine to cut open the Axis Bank ATM and loot the cash.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the culprits sprayed black paint on the CCTV cameras inside the kiosk before committing the theft.

Bank officials said the machine was loaded with Rs 12 lakh cash two days ago. Police confirmed that Rs 11.5 lakh was missing.

Fingerprint units and forensic experts collected evidence from the scene. CCTV footage from nearby shops and the highway is being examined to identify the suspects and their vehicle.

Senior police officers suspect the same gang was involved in both the Somangalam and Gummidipoondi incidents. In Somangalam, the gang targeted an ICICI Bank ATM on the Sriperumbudur–Kundrathur highway using an identical modus operandi to steal Rs 10 lakh.

In 2023, a Haryana-based gang targeted four ATMs in Tiruvannamalai district, using gas cutters to loot Rs 72.50 lakh from cash chests.

Police subsequently arrested two persons, including the kingpin, from Haryana.