By: Kaya News Reporter
Mpumalanga police have a manhunt underway for 15 suspects who were allegedly involved in an ATM blast.
The group made of with an undisclosed amount of money on Wednesday morning in Acornhoek. According to reports, 2 vehicles were seen leaving the scene, a Toyota Camry and a VW Golf.
The incident took place with a security guard on duty who noticed the men approaching the ATM. Eye-witnesses said the group used explosives to get access to the ATM.
Mpumalanga recorded 53 ATM bombings this year and the use of explosives is becoming common.
Robbers previously used grinders to break open the ATM or cutting tools and torches. Explosives offer criminals a faster method to break into the ATMs, making it more difficult to be caught.
In 2019, 40% of ATM blast incidents were successful and the odds increased last year to 54%.
The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) determined that the rise in successful ATM heists were due to the use of explosives.
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