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KUALA LUMPUR - Police have made a breakthrough in their investigation into the automated teller machine (ATM) thefts in the Klang Valley.

They believe that most of the cases were the work of staff of security companies that transported money to ATMs and which also employed technicians and mechanics.

City CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Ku Chin Wah said they were the prime suspects because the thefts were committed expertly without the alarm being triggered.

"The staff of the security companies have inside knowledge on how the alarm works. They are also trained ATM technicians and mechanics and know how to exploit the weaknesses of the security measures.

"Furthermore, the thefts often occur shortly after a large sum of money had just been refilled in the ATM, something which only the bank and the staff of the security companies were aware of," he told a press conference at City Police headquarters yesterday.

Police were convinced that several gangs were specialising in ATM thefts and had so far identified two of them in the Klang Valley comprising staff of security companies.

"They are involved in the thefts either directly or are the brains of the gangs training others to commit the crimes," SAC Ku said.

In KAJANG, police said they were tracking two ATM technicians and a mechanic over their involvement in the attempted theft of the machine at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said the three men, in their 20s and 30s, were on the run following the botched theft on Aug 15 by a group of five.

An alert security guard caught them trying to open the ATM with an oxy-acetylene metal cutter and caught one of them after a struggle. Police arrested another in a follow-up action.

ACP Ab Rashid told reporters that the two only confessed to the attempted theft but police believed the gang had "hit" the same ATM last January and escaped with about RM40,000 (S$ 15,972).

"We can only link the group with these two cases now, but are working together with our neighbouring districts to ascertain if they were involved in other ATM thefts," he said.

ACP Ab Rashid urged anyone with information on the three suspects to contact the police hotline 03-2052 9999 or the nearest police station.

Security Services Association of Malaysia president Datuk Shaheen Mirza Habib said he was unaware of any involvement of personnel of security companies in ATM thefts.

"More investigation is needed," he said.

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PETALING JAYA - Automated teller machines (ATM) in "unsafe" areas may be relocated in the wake of ATM thefts in the Klang Valley.

The Association of Banks Malaysia executive director Chuah Mei Lin said ABM's 26 members were also looking to enhance security measures at its 9,200 ATMs nationwide.

"Banks are looking to include the installation of or, as the case may be, enhancement of CCTV and alarm systems," Chuah said via e-mail.

ABM would also cooperate with its partners hosting off-site ATMs, such as at petrol stations and shopping malls, to either tighten security or relocate the machines to safer areas.

"(If they are to be relocated,) ATMs will be moved not far from the present site," she said.

She added that member banks were also considering a central security control system, as proposed by Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin, to monitor ATMs nationwide.

Malaysian Association for Shopping and Highrise Complex Management president H.C. Chan said relocating ATMs would be inconvenient, especially to shoppers at malls.

"ATMs in shopping malls are very well-used and an important service to shoppers," he said.

On the security of ATMs in service stations, Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia president Datuk Hashim Othman said: "Robbers wouldn't even think of hitting petrol stations as most of them operate on a 24-hour basis with many staff members."