Three men arrested for stealing 'empty' public gold automated machine

KUALA LUMPUR - Three local men, including a teenager who is believed to have stolen a Public Gold automated teller machine (ATM) at a supermarket in Ampang, here were left high and dry since the machine that they had stolen did not have any gold bar.

Ampang Jaya district police chief ACP Mohd Azam Ismail said the suspects are believed to have hired a truck driver to help take the machine out using the vehicle.

"Police received a complaint at 9.50am on Nov 23 regarding the ATM machine being withdrawn by an unknown individual. However, the machine does not have gold bar because it has been emptied and the estimated loss is around RM60,000 involving the machine," he said in a statement here yesterday.

Azam said investigations by the Ampang Jaya District Headquarters Crime Division (IPD) led to the arrest of three suspects aged between 17 and 41 around the capital and Kajang, Selangor between Nov 26 and yesterday to assist investigations.

Urine tests on the suspects also found that one of them was positive for Methamphetamine and Amphetamine.

"The suspect also has 54 past criminal records and three records for criminal and drug offences," he said, adding that the man would be remanded for four days starting today while two other suspects were granted police bail.

Further investigations are underway under Section 380 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine, if convicted. - BERNAMA