KOTA KINABALU: Another failed attempt to prise open a bank’s automated teller machines (ATMs) took place at the Hong Leong Bank premises located at Plaza Alamesra in Sepanggar yesterday, 12 hours after the AmBank Berhad premises in Damai, Luyang was hit by a similar case on Tuesday.
The ATMs with the front metal door prised open by the would-be robber.
In yesterday’s incident, which reportedly took place around 4.40am, a would-be robber was seen walking out of the bank premises empty-handed after failing to break into the ATMs to steal the money inside.
Closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) installed inside the premises recorded footage of a man trying to prise open one of the five ATMs’ metal door with an iron rod but failed to break the vault containing the cash.
City police chief ACP M. Chandra confirmed the incident and said that the police received a report at 8.40am and immediately deployed a police team to the scene.
“Initial investigation revealed that a man had entered the premises with an iron rod and tried to prise open the door of the ATM but failed as it was installed with a security code,” he said, adding that no losses were reported from the ATMs.
Chandra said the police were also trying to establish whether the same person was involved in the first failed attempt at a bank in Damai, Luyang on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, at around 4.20pm, a man clad in black and wearing a ‘superhero’ face mask had reportedly walked out from the AmBank premises in Damai, Luyang empty handed after failing to prise open the ATMs there.
Prior to the attempt to prise open the ATMs, the would-be robber had sprayed white paint on the CCTV cameras installed inside the premises. He could only manage to open the machine’s metal door but was unable to break into the vault containing the money. He subsequently left the bank premises empty-handed.