Cross-Border police probe into stolen ATMs

Catriona Loughran • Published 17 Dec 2009 09:00 0 Comments

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Police are continuing to assist Gardai with investigations after the burnt out remains of two ATM machines along with a lorry and a car were found in woodlands near Rosslea on Tuesday evening.

The machines were first discovered by a local person on Saturday after reports that a lorry carrying stolen cash machines had been dumped close to Carnmore Point, an area popular with walkers and bikers.

It is thought the ATMs were those taken from two banks in Cootehill in County Cavan earlier that day.

Reports also suggest that one was fitted with an anti-theft device which prevented the thieves from stealing the money.

Police have appealed for anyone who saw a black Honda Civic and a Volvo 8-wheel tipper lorry with a grey cab and Wexford registration travelling from Cootehill along the Concession Road and through Dernawilt Crossroads before entering the forest to contact them.

The vehicles have since being removed for further examination north of the border and police have said they are following a line of enquiry and local detectives are assisting their counterparts in the Garda Siochana in the investigation.

Meanwhile, in Co. Tyrone, thieves attempted to steal a cash machine from a shop in Augher during the early hours of Monday morning.

Officers in a police patrol vehicle were passing Costcutters on Main Street at around 4.30am when they heard its alarm sounding and upon investigating, found the front shutters had been forced open and a glass door had been smashed.

Inside the store it was discovered that an attempt had been made to force open a free standing ATM machine.

Manageress Bernie Donnelly said she is thankful no money was taken but described the event as a "massive inconvenience" for staff and customers.

"I locked up as usual on Sunday at 10.30pm and didn't noticed anything untoward and it was not until the following morning that I was phoned by my brother Michael, who owns the shop and told me there was a robbery attempt. When we went down there, there was a lot of glass smashed and we really didn't know what had been taken, but we found that the thieves hadn't been successful with the cash machine and no money had been taken and the store was up and running again by 12.30pm."

Mrs. Donnelly said she would like to see more support for shops in rural areas to help combat this type of crime.

"Luckily for us nothing was taken but some other businesses have not been as fortunate. ATMs are very convenient for people nowadays and if these robberies continue there is fears that banks could pull out these facilities from rural areas and the community will suffer in the long run," she said.

Police are investigating a possible link to two vehicles which were found on fire on the Halftown Road in Augher at about 5.00am, a short time after the break-in and are appealing for information.

Since March, there have been 11 ATM thefts and nine attempted thefts in Northern Ireland including the theft of a cash machine from McCabes Supervalu in Newtownbutler in July.

No arrests have been made in connection to any of the thefts.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 17 Dec 09

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