KUALA LUMPUR: Three individuals, including a teenager, were left empty-handed after stealing a Public Gold automated teller machine (ATM) from a supermarket in Ampang.
Unknown to them, the machine had been emptied of its gold bars prior to the theft.
Ampang Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Azam Ismail said the suspects were believed to have hired a truck driver to help transport the machine from the site.
"Police received a complaint at 9.50am on Nov 23 regarding the removal of the ATM machine by unknown individuals. However, the machine contained no gold bars as it had been emptied beforehand. The estimated loss is about RM60,000 involving the machine," he said in a statement today.
Mohd Azam said their investigations led to the arrest of three suspects, aged between 17 and 41, in Kuala Lumpur and Kajang, 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