3 arrested as break-in attempt at ATM foiled by police in Chennai

CHENNAI: A break-in attempt at a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in Thiruvanmiyur was foiled in Sunday incident after a timely alert and swift police action led to the arrest of three migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh.The incident occurred at an SBI ATM located on Thiruvalluvar Salai. Around 4.30 pm on Sunday, the suspects allegedly tried to manipulate the ATM’s security system using a black cardboard sheet to obscure its artificial intelligence-based surveillance and gain access to the cash chest.The ATM, manufactured by Hitachi, is linked to a centralised hardware monitoring system. Upon detecting the attempted intrusion, the system triggered an alert which was immediately relayed to the Chennai City Police control room.Responding swiftly, a patrol team rushed to the location and apprehended three suspects — Kuldeep Singh (26), Bridge Pan (30), and Smith Yadav (33) — all hailing from Uttar Pradesh. The suspects were taken into custody before they could damage the ATM or access any cash.Preliminary investigations revealed that the trio had specifically targeted the ATM using a planned distraction technique. The arrested individuals are currently being interrogated by a special team to determine if they are connected to a larger interstate gang involved in similar ATM burglary attempts.Police said the suspects are being held at a secure location and further inquiries are underway to trace any additional accomplices. A case has been registered, and the trio is expected to be produced before a magistrate court.