Delhi Police Flag Widespread ATM Security Gaps, Direct Banks to Enhance Measures

A Delhi Police assessment of more than 5,000 ATMs across the city has flagged widespread security deficiencies, including kiosks without guards, shutter locks and adequate CCTV surveillance, TOI reported on Sunday.

According to police sources, as cited in the report, 2,514 ATMs were found operating without shutter locks, while 2,044 did not have security guards. The survey also found that 767 kiosks lacked CCTV cameras outside, 15 had no cameras inside, and 119 were operating without shutters altogether.

A senior police officer said the absence of guards could be linked to cost-cutting by banks, but warned that it was increasing the vulnerability of ATMs to theft.

The security gaps come against the backdrop of a series of ATM thefts in Delhi, including incidents in Ashok Vihar, where thieves broke open a cash machine, and Govindpuri, where a gang allegedly uprooted an entire ATM.

Investigators said ATM thefts are generally not random crimes but are executed by organised gangs after extensive planning. Their first step is often to identify kiosks in isolated locations or those without security personnel.

The gangs then monitor the area for days, tracking police patrols, pedestrian movement and potential escape routes. The attacks are typically carried out in the early hours, when there are fewer people around.

Once inside, suspects often cover their faces and attempt to neutralise CCTV surveillance by spraying paint over the cameras.

The criminals then use gas cutters and other specialised tools to break into the ATM's cash safe. When opening the machine proves difficult, investigators said, some gangs resort to uprooting the entire ATM and loading it onto a vehicle. The machine is then taken to an isolated location, where it is dismantled.

The operation is usually divided among gang members, with some carrying out the theft inside the kiosk while others remain outside to monitor pedestrians and approaching police patrols.

Investigators have also found that suspects frequently use vehicles with forged or cloned registration plates to avoid being traced. In one case in Dabri, police found that the registration number displayed on the suspects' vehicle was fake.

Following several such incidents this year, Delhi Police has held meetings with banks and ATM service providers and asked them to tighten security at vulnerable locations.

Banks and service providers have been directed to deploy guards where necessary, expand CCTV coverage and install tamper-detection mechanisms that can trigger an alert when an ATM is damaged or tampered with.

Electronic surveillance systems installed at banks can generate real-time alerts when an ATM is tampered with. These alerts are sent to the bank's monitoring team, which can then alert police and facilitate a quicker response to attempted thefts.