CRIMINAL gangs on both sides of the border have targeted rural businesses in a spate of ATM thefts, with eight this year alone.
March 21, 2018: Thieves used a forklift to rip an ATM from the wall of a shop in Keady, Co Armagh. The shop on Victoria Street was targeted by thieves who emptied the ATM and made off with the cash.
October 27: A stolen digger was used to remove a cash machine from a service station in Ballyclare. Thieves used a yellow Case digger to remove the ATM on Templepatrick Road.
December 16: An ATM was stolen from a bank in Ballybay, Co Monaghan, by thieves using a digger. Three men are believed to have been involved. The ATM was towed away on a trailer.
December 22: A stolen digger was used to rip a cash machine from a shop in Fintona, Co Tyrone. After removing the ATM on Tattymoyle Road, the thieves set the digger alight.
January 6, 2019: Thieves attempted to rip an ATM from the wall of a Spar shop on Old Mountfield Road in Killyclogher, Co Tyrone. The robbery was foiled when people rushed to the scene and shouted at the thieves.
February 1: Two ATMs were stolen from a shopping centre in Antrim. A large digger was used to remove the machines from the side of the Asda supermarket on Ballymena Road.
February 2: Thieves targeted a cash machine near Moira. A digger was used to remove the ATM from a service station on Glenavy Road near Moira. The digger had been stolen from a nearby building site and was later set alight.
February 15: A cash machine was ripped out of the wall of a filling station near Omagh, Co Tyrone. A digger was used to remove the ATM on Killyclogher Road.
March 10: A cash machine at Cabragh filling station on Ballygawley Road near Dungannon was ripped out. The digger used was later set alight. Just minutes before the Tyrone theft, a digger was used to pull a cash machine from a Bank of Ireland branch at Main Street in Kingcourt, Co Cavan.
March 22: A Danske Bank building in Newtownabbey was badly damaged when thieves tore its ATM from a wall. A stolen digger was used.
March 24: Thieves used a digger to remove an ATM from Drumharvey filling station on Dromore Road in Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh.
April 1: An ATM was ripped from a shop in Ahoghill, Co Antrim. A digger used in the theft was stolen from a nearby building site.
April 7: A cash machine was torn from the wall of a filling station in Dungiven, Co Derry. It is understood a digger stolen from a building site was driven almost a mile down the road before it was used in the theft.
April 16: A digger is used by thieves to rip an ATM from the wall of a coffee shop in Bushmills, Co Antrim. It is thought to be the only ATM in the village.
April 19: At a Tesco in Crumlin, Co Antrim, two cash machines are ripped from a wall at around 2.30am. A Costcutter shop in Craigavon was also targeted at 3.45am but the raid was unsuccessful.
April 30: Two people are arrested after a digger is used to rip a cash machine from the wall of a service station in Nutts Corner, Co Antrim.
