Now, ATM cheque dropbox becomes sitting duck 

KOCHI: Break-ins at ATM enclosures have always had city police on edge. Now, they have another headache to deal with -- breach of cheque drop boxes within ATM counters.

In a recent incident, two men walked into an ATM cubicle of the ICICI Bank and decamped with 17 cheques for Rs 5.18 lakh that customers had deposited in the dropbox. The theft came to light when three of these cheques were tampered with and produced at various banks in Palarivattom, Thrikkakara, and Kakkanad.

Normally thieves target ATMs but this is something different, a police officer said. The incident occurred at an ATM vestibule in Vyttila at noon on November 27. The accused made away with the leaflets and produced three after tampering with them. Authorities at the drawee banks, however, realised that the cheques had been tampered with. Subsequently, the transactions on the three cheques were stopped and ICICI Bank authorities were alerted. Kadavanthra police have registered a case and are on the lookout for two persons caught on CCTV camera. The footage shows the miscreants entering the counter and breaking into the dropbox placed near the ATM.

Police said the accused could try to use the remaining cheques to make different types of payments. “Even as Kadavanthra police carry out an inquiry, bank authorities and other officials should be on alert. If the other cheques are found to have been produced at banks the matter should be reported immediately to Kadavanthra police so that police can trace the accused and prevent fraudulent transactions,” an officer said.

Such transactions should be immediately brought to the attention of Kadavanthra Police Station (0484-2207844), Inspector of Police (9497947188), or Sub Inspector of Police (9497980407), he added.
Police are examining other CCTV footage from the locality. A case under IPC for theft has been registered against two unknown persons based on the complaint lodged by the branch manager. Bank authorities are trying to identify customers who had deposited cheques in the dropbox leading to the incident, sources said.