Inter-state gangs target ATMs across North Telangana districts
Suspected gangs are using gas cutters to break into cash vaults in Kamareddy, Karimnagar and Nizamabad.
Suspected inter-state gangs have targeted several ATMs across the Kamareddy, Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts of North Telangana, according to the Deccan Chronicle. The burglars have reportedly targeted kiosks in isolated locations, using gas cutters to break into cash vaults and escaping with lakhs of rupees.
In the latest incident on Wednesday, Kamareddy town police arrested 33-year-old Mahesh Gyanoba Binde, a musician from Maharashtra's Parbhani district, after he attempted to break into an ATM on JPN Road. District SP Rajesh Chandra said Binde allegedly attempted the theft to repay a personal debt of Rs 10,000 and was tracked to a railway station while preparing to leave for his native place.
The incident follows a theft at Gandhari in Kamareddy district a month ago, where a gang allegedly stole Rs 25.45 lakh. Police arrested the alleged prime accused, Rasheed, in Rajasthan, while three others remain at large. In Karimnagar, burglars broke into two ATMs at Thimmapur and Durshed on September 19, escaping with Rs 15.68 lakh within 45 minutes.
In Nizamabad, thieves used gas cutters to steal approximately Rs 39 lakh from two ATMs at Varni crossroads and Pangra in December 2025. Police are currently examining CCTV footage and technical evidence to establish links between the various cases.
Sheelam Shashi Kumar, an official of the Shraddanandgunj branch of a bank in Nizamabad, told the Deccan Chronicle that the bank remains alert against thefts and that advanced technology would alert staff and police during attempted thefts.