Hyderabad: Burglars stole at least ₹30 lakh from two ATM kiosks in Nizamabad town in the early hours of Saturday, triggering a major police hunt. The thefts occurred at a Development Credit Bank (DCB) ATM in Aryanagar under IV Town police station limits and an SBI ATM at Varni crossroads under V Town police station limits.In-charge commissioner of police (Kamareddy) M Rajesh Chandra inspected both crime scenes, where unidentified offenders allegedly broke open the ATM shutters and fled with cash. He reviewed the entry and exit routes used by the burglars and examined the modus operandi. CCTV footage from inside and around the ATMs has been collected and sent for analysis. Five special investigation teams, supported by the clues team, technical experts and local police units, have been formed to track the offenders. Police suspect the involvement of professional gangs and are probing possible links to groups from Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Investigators believe the suspects arrived in a car and on a motorcycle and used gas-cutters to break open the machines. A fire triggered during the operation reportedly destroyed some cash in one of the ATMs. While the exact amount stolen from each ATM is yet to be ascertained, preliminary estimates indicate that about ₹10 lakh was taken from the SBI ATM and ₹20 lakh or more from the DCB ATM. In both cases, the burglars gained access by forcibly opening the shutters. Suspects spray powderThe suspects also allegedly sprayed powder inside the ATMs to erase fingerprints. The clues team collected forensic evidence from the scenes to aid the investigation. “Night patrolling has been intensified around ATMs, banks and high density areas. Checkposts have been strengthened at key entry and exit points of the district. Coordination with banks has been initiated to enhance ATM security through alarms, additional cameras and improved lighting,” police said.The commissioner directed officers to expedite suspect identification and tracking, and said policing measures were being reinforced to prevent a recurrence.
