Thrissur: One suspect was killed and another injured in an encounter with police in Tamil Nadu's Namakkal on Friday, following the Thrissur ATM heist. Two Tamil Nadu police officers were also wounded during the operation, which led to the arrest of gang members involved in the robbery. Kumarapalayam Police Inspector Thavamani and Pallipalayam Police Assistant Inspector Ranjith, who were injured in the confrontation, are currently undergoing treatment at Pallipalayam Government Hospital.
Namakkal police confirmed that they intercepted a vehicle in which the gang wanted in an ATM robbery in Thrissur. "We have the accused in our custody. Procedures are underway," a top police official with Namakkal police said. The arrested suspects will be brought to Thrissur after completing legal formalities in Tamil Nadu.
The gang was captured while attempting to escape in a container. The car used during the ATM robbery was also found inside the container. The Tamil Nadu police are thoroughly questioning those taken into custody and investigating whether those arrested are indeed the ATM robbery gang.
The gang's modus operandi has been found similar to a previous case recorded in Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu involving the accused hailing from Rajasthan. They had operated using a container truck targeting ATM kiosks. The gang had also used a gas cutter to break open the ATMs, and in some cases, they fled the scene with the machine itself and later broke it open in a secluded place. The gang was wanted in ATM robberies in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad. Namakkal police said that more details would be available only after detailed questioning.
A four-member gang broke open three ATMs run by the State Bank of India (SBI) using a gas cutter and made away with approximately Rs 65 lakh in the early morning hours on Friday.
The gang arrived in a white car. The ATMs, all belonging to the State Bank of India (SBI), were located at Mapranam, Kolazhy, and Shornur Road near Swaraj Round. The heist took place between 2.30 am and 4 am on Friday.
It is suspected that the robbery was carried out by a professional gang. CCTV footage showed four masked men in a car arriving at the three locations. The gang masked the cameras using spray paint at the ATMs during the robbery.