CRIME / DARING HEIST

Thieves steal ATM with B2.5 million inside

WICHAYANT BOONCHOTE

Songkhla _ Five thieves made off with an automatic teller machine (ATM) with nearly 2.5 million baht inside in Songkhla's Hat Yai district yesterday. Police said the Krung Thai Bank's ATM machine placed in front of the Social Security Office (SSO) building on Chotiwiriyakul 3 was ripped out and taken away in the back of a pick-up truck about 2am.

Footage from the building's surveillance cameras showed five people involved in the robbery.

Security guard Sathaporn Nimpradub, 46, said five robbers, two armed with 11mm and 9mm pistols, held him at gunpoint before making him lie flat on the floor and binding his hands and legs.

Then the thieves dislodged the machine, placed it on a pushcart, took it out to a pick-up truck waiting outside the building and hoisted it on to the back.

Mr Sathaporn said the entire operation took about 20 minutes.

The security guard managed to free himself a short time later and informed police immediately.

Police said the robbers got away with 2,450,000 baht in cash which had been put in the machine by bank staff on Tuesday evening.

More than 50 investigative and crime suppression police officers were summoned to hunt for the thieves.

General News
Bangkok Post
Thursday January 25, 2007