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19th Apr 2019

Spate of ATM thefts continues as ATMs robbed from two banks in Meath

Conor Heneghan

ATM Antrim

The incidents occurred at around 4.30am on Friday morning.

Gardaí are investigating the theft of two ATMs in Kells in Meath in the early hours of Friday morning.

Gardaí were alerted to an incident that occurred at around 4.30am on Main Street in Kells and immediately went to the scene.

Two ATMs were pulled from the main wall of two Banks on Main Street and driven away on the back of a dark coloured crewcab jeep. The jeep left in the direction of the Maudlin Road, towards Carnalstown.

Gardaí are appealing for any information in relation to this incident and any persons who can assist with this investigation to contact Kells Garda Station on 046 – 9280820, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

The theft of the ATMs in Meath follows on from a spate of similar incidents, most of which have taken place in Northern Ireland or counties close to the border, in recent months.

Ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend, the PSNI appealed to the public to report suspicious activity.

Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Evans said: “As the bank holiday weekend approaches and some construction work comes to a halt, I want to reiterate our appeal to anyone who owns or uses heavy plant machinery – please take every possible step to secure and immobilise your machinery. If criminals cannot steal diggers and other similar machinery, they cannot tear out ATMs. This will also mean that these expensive pieces of machinery are not destroyed or burnt out.

“I would also remind the public to let us know if they see anything suspicious, including seeing any unusual activity, people or vehicles loitering in areas close to ATMs, particularly as some shops may be closed. 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. The key to stopping these crimes and getting ahead of these criminals is information from the public. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

“The public can be rest assured that police will continue to focus on the theft of ATMs over the bank holiday – we will continue to do all we can to catch those responsible for carrying out these thefts. We have dedicated teams of detectives investigating the attacks and local police will continue to carry out patrols in areas which could be vulnerable to an attack. This remains a key priority for us.”

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