Would-be thieves torch money in botched ATM robbery in Bulgaria
Burglars who attempted to crack an ATM in the Bulgarian town of Shoumen ended up burning through the plastic cash boxes, incinerating their intended loot, estimated at 20 000 leva (about 10 000 euro), local newspaper Shoumenska Zarya reported.
The hapless thief (or thieves) broke into an unused former branch of DSK Bank, taking advantage of the cover provided by the leafy tree outside to cut through the ATM’s metal walls using a cutting torch, the daily said.
The attempted robbery was carried out on August 4. Burnt remains of the banknotes and the plastic boxes that held them were found outside the building and the investigators believe that the money was incinerated in the process of cutting through the ATM walls.
So far, the existing evidence points toward an attempted robbery, rather than a successful one, the bank said.
The bank told the newspaper that the details of the incident were being withheld to avoid compromising the investigation. The report quoted an unnamed source familiar with the investigation that the police found a finger print at the scene of the crime.
It remains unclear why the break-in did not set off the alarms, but the bank said that investigators would continue examining the crime scene to determine the reason.
(Photo: Vaughan Willis)
