A 67-year-old Malaysian man has been arrested after allegedly smashing 12 ATM screens across Kuala Lumpur, causing tens of thousands of ringgit in damage without stealing any cash.
The case was confirmed in a statement by Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Sentul on Feb. 18.
First report lodged by ATM technician
Police said they first received a report on Feb. 16 at around 8.40am from a 38-year-old ATM technician at a Maybank branch in Jinjang Selatan.
The technician discovered that four ATM screens had been cracked while carrying out maintenance work. The damage was believed to have been caused intentionally by an unknown individual. Losses were estimated at around RM4,000.
Four more reports the next day
On Feb. 17, between 12.24pm and 10.16pm, police received four additional reports involving smashed ATM screens.
The cases involved:
- Two incidents at Maybank Jinjang Selatan
- One incident at RHB Jinjang Utara
- One incident at Public Bank Jinjang Utara
Total losses from these incidents were estimated at around RM60,000.
Suspect allegedly used stone to smash screens
Following the reports, police launched a special operation to track down the suspect.
The man is described as being approximately 165cm tall, of medium build and fair-skinned. At the time of the incidents, he was allegedly wearing a grey short-sleeved shirt, long pants and black slippers.
He was also said to be wearing a blue cap and riding a blue Honda Wave motorcycle. The registration number of the motorcycle has yet to be identified.
According to police, the suspect would enter ATM booths, smash the machine screens using a stone and flee the scene immediately after. No money was reported stolen in any of the cases.
