2 ‘ATM Gang’ members arrested by Makati

Two persons said to be members of the so-called "Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Gang" were arrested by the Makati City police while doing their thing yesterday morning.

SPO4 Dioscoro Asinas, Jr. of the Makati City police identified the suspects as Marlon Agno, 31, and Judito Coruel, 31, both residents of Mayamot, Antipolo City.

The two were caught in the act of stealing P2,000 from an ATM of a United Coconut Planters Bank branch in Makati City by in-house security guards.

Derick Rasalan, bank manager of UCPB said a security guard was able to witness the two suspects placing an object inside the ATM sometime around 6:30 a.m. yesterday.

The guard immediately reported what he saw to Rasalan and the nearby police precinct. Policemen from the precinct agreed to wait for some victims to withdraw cash from the ATM first and wait for the suspects to retrieve the cash before conducting an arrest.

At around 7 a.m., the first victim Joemel Aranda, a security guard of Barangay West Rembo tried to withdraw P500 from the ATM but left with only his card.

Moments later a second victim Catalino Lerion, Jr., also of West Rembo tried to withdraw P1,500 but was also caught in the same trap.

About 15 minutes later the two victims tried to withdraw the money, the two suspects proceeded to the ATM booth, took out the object from the cash dispenser and pocketed the P2,000.

Police immediately arrested the two men and took them to the Makati City police headquarters where they are now detained.

Seized from the suspects were six pieces of plastic strips of different sizes, two ATM cards and P2,000.

According to Asinas, the suspects were engaged in the crime on a regular basis based on the items recovered from them.

The suspects had the six pieces of plastic strips to choose from depending on the size of the cash dispenser of the ATMs.

Rasalan claimed that there have been several complaints received by the bank about money not being dispensed by the ATMs although records showed successful withdrawals. The two suspects will be charged with theft, the police said. – Marvin Sy