Chennai, May 26
In a swift and coordinated response, the Greater Chennai Police thwarted an attempted ATM break-in during the early hours of Monday and arrested three suspects, all migrant workers, at the scene.
According to officials, the incident took place at a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM located on Thiruvalluvar Salai.
The trio allegedly tried to tamper with the ATM’s advanced security system by using a black cardboard sheet to obstruct its artificial intelligence-based surveillance camera.
The technique, police believe, was aimed at disabling or confusing the system to gain access to the cash chest undetected. However, the ATM’s built-in AI surveillance mechanism triggered an automated alert when it detected the suspicious activity.
The alert was immediately relayed to the Chennai City Police control room. Acting on the alert, a nearby police patrol team rushed to the location and apprehended the three suspects -- identified as Kuldeep Singh, Smith Yadav, and Bridge Pan -- before they could escape or cause significant damage.
Police sources said that the suspects attempted to employ a specific distraction technique that they believe may have been used in other such crimes.
“The use of a black cardboard sheet to obscure the surveillance system was clearly a premeditated move. It suggests a degree of familiarity with ATM security protocols,” an official said.
Investigators are now interrogating the accused to determine whether they are part of a larger interstate gang specialising in ATM heists.