THRISSUR: Salem DIG said that all the seven accused who stole money from three ATM centres are from Haryana. According to the information received by the police, the accused planned the theft by purchasing old scrap ATMs and training using them. It is said that they have the facility to conduct training on ATMs and the fraudsters are staying in places where outsiders cannot enter.

They have been trained to carry out robberies quickly. It is learnt that gangs from Haryana have carried out robberies using gas cutters in the past as well. They are also good at driving fast. The container of the robbery gang, which skipped the vehicle inspection, rammed into several vehicles and went ahead. When the information was received from the Kerala Police, the Tamil Nadu police had started checking the vehicles in various teams. Though the police team showed their hands and asked the vehicle to stop, the robbery team proceeded quickly. When followed, the lorry turned around near the next toll gate and tried to go another way. In the meantime, the lorry rammed into several vehicles.

"Four persons were sitting in the vehicle when the vehicle was stopped at Sanyasipatti and the driver was taken into custody. When the lorry was opened, Police found the car and two others inside. They tried to run out but were subdued. In the meantime, the driver tried to escape by attacking the inspector. So he had to be shot dead," the DIG explained to the media. Several fake number plates have also been found in the Creta car. The accused targeted the SBI ATMUs thinking that the bank would replenish the money in them frequently. The ATMs were found by checking Google Maps. A case has been registered against them, including for attacking policemen and damaging vehicles.