Robbers escape with RM180,000

A group of robbers carted away RM180,000 after they broke into an Agro Bank automated teller machine (ATM) in Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, earlier today.

A police spokesman said the suspects were believed to have entered through a garbage hole between 3am and 5am today to avoid being detected and setting off the alarm before they pried the machine open.

When contacted, he said the security guard was unaware of what happened until bank personnel found the ATM forced open and informed the police.

The police forensics division is currently conducting investigation at the scene, he added.

On Oct 10, the government revealed that a total of 17 automated teller machine (ATM) robberies had been reported by banking institutions until September this year.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Awang Adek Hussin said that there were more than 11,000 ATMs nationwide but the the situation was still under control.

Awang Adek had in the Dewan Rakyat said that among security features implemented as new features used by banks to curb ATM robberies include the installation of fire alarms and ATM premises to deter robbers from using oxy-acetylene cutters.

He had also said banking institutions must meet the minimum international standards to ensure that ATM machines could not be prised open.

Recent cases of ATM robberies this year

March 21 - Thieves drilled into an ATM machine at Bangunan Perdana Siswa in Universiti Malaya and they made off with RM200,000

April 29 - Thieves steal RM190,000 from an ATM in Pandan Indah

May 18 - Using only a rope, five man ran off with an ATM containing RM37,520 at a building in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, Sepang

May 25 - An ATM machine with RM200,000 was stolen from a shopping mall in Balakong, Seri Kembangan

May 26 - One ATM machine at the Univeristy Light Rail Transit (LRT) station was stolen with losses amounting to RM61,000

May 28 - Botched attempt by thieves to steal an ATM at a hypermarket in Pantai Dalam after the alarm went off

June 8 - An ATM machine in a supermarket in Taman Melawati Ampang was broken into and thieves carted away RM80,000

June 14 - Thieves made off with an ATM machine containing about RM48,000 from the KTM Komuter station in Subang Jaya

July 1 - A gang of robbbers raided a hypermarket in Wangsa Maju and fleed with RM1.17 million from four ATM machines

Aug 21 - A group known as Oxy gang made off with more than RM220,000 from an ATM at Taman Tun Dr Ismail