CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: In yet another brazen early-morning strike that has raised fresh concerns over ATM security, a gang of miscreants decamped with more than Rs 35 lakh after breaking open an automated teller machine at Mylliembah, on the outskirts of the city, under the jurisdiction of Mawngap Police Station. The meticulously planned heist, carried out in the dead of night, mirrors a growing pattern of such crimes reported from different parts of the country, particularly in late 2025 and early 2026, pointing to an organized modus operandi targeting isolated ATM kiosks.
According to police sources, a group of around four miscreants used a gas-cutter to breach the ATM and made away with approximately Rs 35.34 lakh. The robbery is suspected to have taken place around 2.20 am on Sunday. Before cutting open the machine, the miscreants sprayed black paint on the CCTV camera in an apparent attempt to destroy visual evidence and evade identification. Despite this, police said they are making efforts to identify the culprits through other technical and ground-level leads.
A case has been registered at Mawngap Police Station, and police are making efforts to trace and apprehend the culprits. Investigators are also examining whether the gang is linked to a similar incident reported from Mawkriah last year, where thieves used similar equipment to cut open an ATM and steal cash, though no arrests were made in that case. The recurrence of such incidents has once again underscored vulnerabilities in ATM security, particularly in peripheral and less-patrolled areas.