Thieves target ATM in 2.5million Hua Hin robbery - but fail to make withdrawal

[webfact]

Thieves target ATM in 2.5million Hua Hin robbery - but fail to make withdrawal


Image: Manager Online

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN:-- Thieves who targeted an ATM in Hua Hin on Monday night cut open the back but failed to extract the 2.5 million baht inside.

A provincial police chief called Tuesday for swift action to find those responsible as it emerged that a bank warning system failed to alert officers of a robbery in progress, reports Manager Online.

And the owner of the building that housed the Krung Thai bank machine said that the ATM was always going wrong but officials wouldn't change it.

CCTV in the immediate vicinity has proved to be of little help.

Deputy provincial police chief Buntham Wannarat called a meeting of officers at the Bang Nong Plap station before heading a delegation to inspect the scene of the attempted robbery.

The ATM was housed in the S2 auto spares shop. The thieves had cut their way into the building and then used a gas powered cutting tool to open the back of the ATM but were unable to get the money out.

Buntham said that the bank's warning system in Bangkok had indicated a problem around midnight on Monday but that local officers were not subsequently informed. The attempted theft was only discovered in the morning when the auto shop's employees arrived for work.

CCTV at a convenience store and other shops in the vicinity was not near enough to get viable images of the person or persons responsible and Buntham has ordered that cameras in a wider range are studied to get a trace on those responsible.

The owner of the auto shop, Thitipan Seuajorn,30, said that over the years the alarm of the ATM had gone off many times often when the vibrations from passing lorries caused it to shut down.

Source: Manager Online

-- 2016-05-11

[colinneil]

Silly buggers, you only need a pin number to get money from an atm.

Maybe they left the card at home.

[mesterm]

I mentioned recently that the reports of ATMs targeted and leading to millions of baht stolen will lead to more criminally minded individuals seeing the opportunity for $$$ in their eyes and attempt the same.

Looks like that's what's happened.

[sanukjim]

So what good is the alarm system if nobody is monitoring it ?

[slapout]

The thieves use the age old theory that 0200 to 0600 is when law enfocement are napping and it is the most effective time for committing this type of crime without getting caught.The central alarm / monitor systems must not be watched or responsed to very effecently by anyone involved.

Now if the criminals can just figure out a quick way to get to the cash in the ATM they would run the authorities ragged.

[paulswebb]

Run the authorities ragged, in your dreams.

[gk10002000]

This article did make me realize that a business probably doesn't want to have an ATM in there. The business probably doesn't make much money off of renting out the space for the ATM or for making money on some extra sales because cash is a little more readily available for the shopper, but it increases the risk of burglary attempts.

[Suradit69]

I mentioned recently that the reports of ATMs targeted and leading to millions of baht stolen will lead to more criminally minded individuals seeing the opportunity for $$$ in their eyes and attempt the same.

Looks like that's what's happened.

Hardly puts you in a league with Nostradamus. Attempted robberies of ATMs in Thailand, including multiple cases involving dimwitted farang, and elsewhere aren't exactly rare.

I doubt they'll be "seeing the opportunity for $$$ in their eyes" unless they are confused about what the local currency is.