Gang robs lakhs from 3 ATMs in Kerala, flee to TN in truck; one suspect shot dead by Namakkal police

COIMBATORE: A member of a gang suspected to have been involved in ATM heist in Kerala's Thrissur was gunned down by the Tamil Nadu police on Friday following a hot chase while they tried to flee through Kumarapalayam in Namakkal after looting Rs 65 lakh from three ATMs in the neighbouring state. The robbers are suspected to be part of the notorious Bawaria gang.

The gang had emptied three State Bank of India ATMs in Thrissur –- at Mapranam, Shornur Road, and Kolazhy areas — by breaking them open with gas cutters in the early hours of today, and made away with Rs 65 lakh in cash.

Upon receiving a specific alert from the Kerala Police that the burglars had escaped in a car and then in a container truck, the Namakkal police stepped up vehicle checks.

Around 8:45 am, the truck carrying the burglars jumped a vehicle check at Komarapalayam and sped towards Sankagiri but returned to the route and took the Veppadai Road. In their hurried attempt to flee, the driver of the heist truck rammed into a car and two two-wheelers, leaving one injured.

The police who were hot on the gang's heels intercepted the truck near Sanniyasipatti and took the burglars to the Veppadai police station with heavy police escort.

Earlier, the police while chasing the container truck had asked the driver to stop the vehicle upon hearing a heavy sound from inside it, near Thoppukadu around 10:45 am.

“One Zumaan, aged around 40 years, who was behind the wheels, was asked to open the container, which had two persons inside. One of them jumped out and attempted to escape with a bag full of cash after attacking the inspector, with a small weapon. Then Zumaan also took to his heels,” said Salem Zone DIG ES Uma at a press briefing.

As the duo attempted to run through a stream, Zumaan slipped and fell. “When a sub-inspector attempted to secure him, Zumaan attacked him and forced him down. It was then that the cop opened fire with his pistol in self-defence. He also fired at the leg of another burglar after he hurled stones at the police officials,” DIG Uma added.

The injured robber has been admitted to a hospital in Coimbatore for treatment while five others of the gang were taken into custody for interrogation.

Elaborating on the incident, the DIG said, "The gang particularly targeted SBI ATMs, usually loaded with cash. They arrived as two teams — one in a container truck and another in a car. After the robbery, they fled together with the loot. They reached Thrissur and checked for SBI ATMs through Google Maps,” she added.

While the total volume of cash is yet to be ascertained, an inquiry is under way to know if they were linked to other gangs involved in similar ATM break-ins in Tamil Nadu. Scientific officers are also probing for weapons, the official informed.

Meanwhile, a special team of police from Thrissur arrived in Namakkal to conduct an inquiry.