ATM theft investigation continues
Seamus Enright
Gardaí are continuing to work with the police service north of the Border to establish whether those who used diggers to bust ATMs from walls in Cavan and Tyrone earlier this month were members of the same gang.
A digger was used to remove an ATM from the Bank of Ireland on Main Street in Kingscourt at around 4am on Sunday, March 10, with a separate dramatic withdrawal occurring around the same time at a filling station on the Ballygawley Road in Dungannon.
The investigation continues as CCTV footage and startling images of the Cavan incident have begun to emerged.
In footage viewed by The Anglo-Celt newspaper, a lorry towing a flatbed trailer can be seen approaching the Bank of Ireland on Main Street, Kingscourt, from the Shercock direction, before pulling up alongside the local financial building.
The flatbed, which was stolen on March 10 from the Dundalk area, is followed shortly after by a light-coloured jeep-type vehicle towing a twin-axle trailer.
It performs a U-turn before reversing back to the digger and truck, which once the ATM is ripped from the wall, are abandoned at the scene.
The jeep and trailer, with this new cargo, speed off in the direction of Carrickmacross.
In Tyrone, and similar to the case in Kingscourt, the digger used was reported stolen from a site a short distance away from where the crime occurred.
However, in Tyrone, the gang involved there set the machine on fire at the scene after the theft.
Gardaí arrived in Kingscourt only minutes after the criminals loaded the ATM onto the trailer and made their escape.
Gardaí are understood to be particularly interested in any motorists who may have been utilising dash-cam devices on the night.
They are also trying to establish whether the jeep may have been accompanied by other so-called “spotter” vehicles on the night.
Bank commitment
In the aftermath, Bank of Ireland moved to assure the people and business community in Kingscourt of their ongoing commitment to the town.
They hope an ATM will be re-established in the town within the next six to eight weeks, and in the meantime have provided a temporary internal ATM cash withdrawal service for customers.
“Plans are already in place for a new external ATM to be installed in the coming weeks.
“We can also confirm that there will be no change to the current service levels in the Kingscourt branch,” a Bank of Ireland spokesperson told the Celt.