The ATM robberies that took place in Thrissur in the early hours of Friday morning were something that overtook even thriller movie stories. Three SBI ATMs in Thrissur district were looted by professional robbers from the Haryana-Rajasthan border with an elaborate plan and they tried to escape smartly after looting more than Rs 68 lakh. If the container lorry in which they tried to escape with the loot had not hit other vehicles at Namakkal in Tamil Nadu and caused an accident, they would have easily escaped with the loot by dodging the police teams that followed them. It was a great achievement that the Tamil Nadu police team that followed the gang was able to nab all six of them with the loot. One robber was killed and one was injured when the police fired back as the gang tried to attack them. Two of the policemen were stabbed by robbers. The deceased was the man who was driving the container lorry.
Despite all the security measures taken, ATM robberies are taking place all over the country. There have been several instances of ATMs being robbed by subduing the guard even in areas where ATMs had an armed guard. Even after ATM security has increased tenfold with the help of state-of-the-art technologies, robberies continue to take place overtaking them all. The robbers range from local groups to organized groups. It is clear that the people behind the robbery of three ATMs in Thrissur in a short span of time are those who have good skills and good experience in this kind of robberies. These three ATMs were equipped with security arrangements so that the alarm bells rang in the police control room when the robbery attempt was started. A warning was received immediately after the incident. However, by the time the police arrived, the robbers had already gone a long way with the loot.
It is clear that had it not been for the involvement of ordinary people in Namakkal, the gang would have reached its destination without being caught. Therefore, it is the people of Namakkal who deserve more appreciation than the police force. Some time ago, there was a proposal to appoint guards for all ATMs. However, the banks were not ready to accept the proposal as it would incur huge costs. Many banks tried to ensure safety by installing surveillance cameras instead. Robbers can easily hide from these security cameras and carry out robberies. Apart from installing cameras, other types of warning systems can also keep robbers at bay to a certain extent. Similarly, the police should be able to make night patrolling effective on roads with ATMs. Technical systems can be installed to give a warning signal. Even if the cameras are hidden, the danger signals will reach where they are supposed to reach. There are many technologies available today for that.
As far as banks are concerned, they don't suffer much losses due to such robberies. In fact, it is estimated that their profits are increasing with each passing year. However, for the people, the news related to ATM robberies are disturbing.
At present, there is no need for the police to carry out inspections on the roads to catch traffic violations as AI cameras installed on all roads have taken up this job. The offences can be detected while sitting in the control room and a case can be registered. Similarly, a monitoring system that connects ATMs to each other can be thought of. It's not enough just to install the equipment. It should also be checked frequently to make sure that they are working properly. The ATMs, which are almost orphaned at night, will entice any petty gang of robbers. It is the responsibility of the banks to keep them as safe as possible.