TOTI police have confirmed that an ATM was not bombed, but tampered with in the Toti CBD in the early hours of Sunday, 30 August.
Soon after the incident on Sunday, provincial police spokesman, Major Thulani Zwane confirmed that a Capitec ATM had been bombed in Commercial Road.
However, Toti detectives are investigating a case of business housebreaking.
On Saturday, 29 August, SOS Security attached to Capitec Bank responded to an alarm at the premises. They inspected the interior of the bank and the holding area of the ATM and found all to be in order,” said Toti SAPS communications officer, Capt Charlene van der Spuy.
On Sunday, 30 August at about 11.30am, the manager was summoned to the bank to sort out a water leak in the ceiling. “When she opened up, she noticed a bin placed on the counter to trap the leaking water. She also noticed a strange smell inside, which resembled burnt wire or fumes of some sort.”
When she went outside and opened the strong room which houses the ATM, she noticed the rear safe door of the ATM was extensively damaged. “The trays that held the money were still intact.
The suspects drilled through a 30cm concrete deck, cut through 6mm steel to gain entry to the ATM room by making a hole in the rear side of the safe door, but did not succeed.
Experts confirmed no explosives were used, but possibly a cutting torch. The perpetrators gained entry to the premises through the roof.
