When criminals in Dundalk, Ireland, tried to get away with €240,000 from two ATMs, Cornwall-based security experts Spinnaker were on hand to ensure that the plans came to nothing.
The trouble with top quality security systems is that they don’t always get the appreciation they deserve because, thankfully, most of the time they simply act as a deterrent for potential crime.
Yet back in April of this year, Spinnaker, the Cornwall-based world leader in the manufacture of cash protection and asset tracking technology, proved the importance of having the right security systems in place.
In this instance, the criminals, whose actions were caught on video (below), used heavy plant machinery to rip ATM machines belonging to Allied Irish Bank (AIB) and Ulster Bank from out of the wall. The ATMs, which contained €240,000 (£217,000) were then loaded onto a getaway vehicle.
Thankfully the Northern Irish police managed to apprehend the criminals once they had made their escape over the border.
But even if they had managed to get away, Spinnaker’s technology ensured that their loot wouldn’t have been worth nearly as much as they expected.
The AIB ATM was equipped with Spinnaker’s a2m cash degradation technology and CrimeTag, Spinnaker’s DNA forensic marking product.
a2m detects when a cash point is under attack and releases security dye that renders the money unusable. While CrimeTag is a forensic protection technology that makes it easy to link a piece of evidence to a specific robbery.
Once the stolen cash is returned to issuing bank, Spinnaker’s technology makes it very easy for replacement cash to be returned to the rightful source.
Speaking about the events in Dundalk, Spinnaker’s commercial director, Richard Wood: “we are delighted in the speedy capture of the individuals involved in this attack and the success of the joint operation between the Gardaí and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The fact that Spinnaker’s cash protection technology removed the value from the stolen banknotes, making the robbery pointless is very satisfying.”
Spinnaker solutions protect millions of banknotes every day as they circulate through retailers, ATMs and cash in transit operations in over 45 countries around the world.
