The arrests of four men in East Belfast today will "disrupt" one of the gangs behind ATM attacks, police have said.
Three men were arrested at the scene of an ATM bunker burglary at a filling station on the Gilnahirk Road in the early hours of this morning.
Another was later arrested at an address in the east of the city . They did not manage to steal any of the money.
Gilnahirk Road attempted ATM theft leads to four arrests
Detective Chief Inspector David Henderson said one line of enquiry was that the men are members of a gang linked to recent ATM attacks in the Greater Belfast area in the last few months, in particular ATM bunkers.
But he appealed to the public to continue working with police to put an end to ATM thefts.
"Yes we believe this will disrupt this gang but we are not being complacent," he said.
"Again we are appealing to the public to continue giving us information to make sure we put a stop to this crime."
The men, aged 30, 33, 37 and 41, are currently in custody at Musgrave Station assisting police with enquiries.
In recent months, police have carried out 41 searches across Northern Ireland, during which they recovered more than £51,000 and made 19 arrests in relation to ATM crimes.
As a result of these arrests, detectives have now charged five men in relation to ATM thefts in Fintona, Antrim and Tully Road, Nutt’s Corner and also charged two men, for other offences including theft, driving offences and possession of criminal property. Six of these men have been remanded in custody.
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DCI Henderson, of the PSNI’s Organised Crime Unit , said ATM crime remains a priority for the police and patrols would continue in vulnerable areas.
"I would like to thank the public for their help as these arrests and charges demonstrate the positive result of the community and police successfully working together to tackle this crime," said DCI Henderson.
"However, in no way does this mean we will become complacent. We continue to focus on doing everything we can to catch those responsible and prevent further thefts of ATMs. Local policing teams continue to patrol areas at night which could be vulnerable to an attack and detectives remain dedicated to investigating the thefts that have taken place.
"I would again appeal to the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or unusual activity, such as people or vehicles loitering in areas close to ATMs.
"This remains a key priority for us. The idea that ATM thefts are a victimless crime is simply wrong as these attacks cause untold loss and disruption to people, businesses and whole communities, in terms of the loss of very expensive machinery, delays in production, damage to the local economy.
"If you hear machinery late at night or in the early hours please call us on the non-emergency number 101 or 999 if you think a crime is in progress. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
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