Police say that four men arrested earlier today are members of a gang linked to recent ATM attacks in the greater Belfast area in the last few months.
The men, aged 30, 33, 37 and 41, are currently in custody at Musgrave Station assisting police with their enquiries.
Three men were arrested at the scene and one later on at an address in East Belfast following a burglary of an ATM bunker at a filling station on the Gilnahirk Road in the early hours of this morning. They did not manage to steal any of the money.
To date, 41 searches have been carried out across Northern Ireland, and police have recovered over £51,000 and made 19 arrests.
Detective Chief Inspector David Henderson said police believe these four men are members of a gang linked to recent ATM attacks in the greater Belfast area in the last few months.
“ATM crimes have been a priority for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. As a result of these arrests, detectives have now charged five men in relation to ATM thefts in Fintona, Antrim and Tully Road, Nutt’s Corner and also charged two men, for other offences including theft, driving offences and possession of criminal property. Six of these men have been remanded in custody,” he said.
“I would like to thank the public for their help as these arrests and charges demonstrate the positive result of the community and police successfully working together to tackle this crime,” he added.
Detective Chief Inspector said police will continue to work toward catching those responsible and preventing further thefts.
“However, in no way does this mean we will become complacent. We continue to focus on doing everything we can to catch those responsible and prevent further thefts of ATMs. Local policing teams continue to patrol areas at night which could be vulnerable to an attack and detectives remain dedicated to investigating the thefts that have taken place,” he added.
And the public is asked to be vigilant.
“I would again appeal to the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or unusual activity, such as people or vehicles loitering in areas close to ATMs.
“This remains a key priority for us. The idea that ATM thefts are a victimless crime is simply wrong as these attacks cause untold loss and disruption to people, businesses and whole communities, in terms of the loss of very expensive machinery, delays in production, damage to the local economy.
“If you hear machinery late at night or in the early hours please call us on the non-emergency number 101 or 999 if you think a crime is in progress. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111,” added the Detective Chief Inspector.