ATM burglary: Special squads to curb crime

| | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

Concerned over the rising number of ATM burglaries in the State, police have chalked out a concrete action plan to curb the menace.

Sources said all district Superintendents of Police have been directed to form special squads to check ATM loot incidents in the State.

 The cops have been asked to keep a record of name, address and contact details of guests checking into various hotels and lodges in their respective districts.

The decision was after miscreants looted around Rs 30 lakh from four ATMs in Baripada town on Saturday.

A team of the Crime Branch (CB) visited the town for investigation into the series of ATM loot incidents.

 Crime Branch sources said the looters, who are professionals from outside the State, damage the CCTVs installed inside the ATM counters and take away the hard disks with them after committing the offence. CCTVs have been installed in petrol pumps and entry and exit points of all cities and towns to locate the looters, sources added.

It may be mentioned here that such gangs are mainly active in Bhadrak, Baleswar, Ganjam, Rourkela, Cuttack and Baripada and have looted around Rs 2 crore from various ATMs in the last seven months.

Concerned over the rising number of ATM burglaries in the State, police have chalked out a concrete action plan to curb the menace.

Sources said all district Superintendents of Police have been directed to form special squads to check ATM loot incidents in the State.

 The cops have been asked to keep a record of name, address and contact details of guests checking into various hotels and lodges in their respective districts.

The decision was after miscreants looted around Rs 30 lakh from four ATMs in Baripada town on Saturday.

A team of the Crime Branch (CB) visited the town for investigation into the series of ATM loot incidents.

 Crime Branch sources said the looters, who are professionals from outside the State, damage the CCTVs installed inside the ATM counters and take away the hard disks with them after committing the offence. CCTVs have been installed in petrol pumps and entry and exit points of all cities and towns to locate the looters, sources added.

It may be mentioned here that such gangs are mainly active in Bhadrak, Baleswar, Ganjam, Rourkela, Cuttack and Baripada and have looted around Rs 2 crore from various ATMs in the last seven months.