Hyderabad: Masked miscreants, wearing women’s clothing seem to be on an ATM looting spree in Telangana.
In the latest incident, the criminals, wearing nighties and masks arrived in an ambulance and broke into a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in the state’s Kamareddy district on Sunday and decamped with cash.
The suspects were captured on CCTV footage. They reached the ATM in an ambulance between 1 am and 1.30 am. They then used cutting equipment to damage the machine and escaped with cash before the theft came to light.
The robbery was discovered after locals noticed the damaged ATM later in the day and alerted the police. A police team reached the spot, registered a case and began an investigation.
CCTV footage is being scanned to identify the suspects and trace their movements before and after the incident. The amount of cash stolen has not yet been confirmed, as officials need to verify the ATM’s cash balance to determine the exact loss.
It is also being investigated whether the ambulance used in the alleged robbery was a genuine emergency vehicle or was used by the suspects to disguise their movements and avoid suspicion.
The Kamareddy incident comes weeks after two SBI ATMs at Durshed and Thimmapur, on the outskirts of Karimnagar, were targeted on September 19.
In those two incidents, the suspects allegedly used gas cutters, wore women’s clothing and attempted to obstruct CCTV surveillance. The similarities between the cases could be relevant to the ongoing investigation, although it remains unclear whether the incidents are connected.