Meghalaya: Over 28 lakh looted from SBI ATM in East Khasi Hills; Police suspect gang from Assam

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG:  In a chilling display of precision and audacity, four unidentified miscreants made off with approximately Rs 28.13 lakh after breaking into a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM booth at Mawkriah in East Khasi Hills around 3 a.m. on Wednesday.

The strike—executed with clinical efficiency—has sent shockwaves across Meghalaya’s banking and security circles. CCTV footage from the booth captured the masked intruders working in perfect sync, using a gas cutter to slice open the ATM machine and empty its vault within minutes.

“The modus operandi appears identical to a spate of recent ATM thefts in Assam. We strongly suspect an interstate gang with high-level coordination and prior experience,” said a senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The attack unfolded under the cover of darkness, with no security guard reportedly present at the time. Forensic teams have since sealed the site, while investigators are analyzing video footage to track the culprits’ movements.

Police have registered a case at Mawngap Police Station and launched an intensive manhunt. The brazen robbery has ignited widespread concern over glaring security lapses at vital financial nodes.

As officials race against time to crack the case, the meticulously executed heist has underscored the vulnerability of even high-security ATM installations, raising urgent questions about surveillance, response time, and inter-state crime tracking mechanisms.

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