Police: ATM theft gang in operation since ’04

One of the arrested suspects in thefts of cash withdrawals from automated teller machines had been videotaped on a bank’s close-circuit television camera while in the process of tampering with an ATM machine.

A number of banks has coordinated with Meisic police station chief Superintendent Nelson Yabut following the stories that appeared in The STAR on the gang’s nefarious activities and the damages it has wrought on the banks’ ATMs.

A Union Bank branch in Sucat, Parañaque has furnished Yabut footages from its CCTV camera showing suspect Bobby Tibo and an unidentified companion apparently tampering an ATM. The incident was recorded on Oct. 9, 2004 at around 8:02 a.m. as shown on the CCTV footages, indicating the gang has been in operation way back 2004, Yabut said.

Investigations also showed that Tibo, alias Bobby Marcoso, has a pending warrant of arrest for attempted robbery issued by the Parañaque regional trial court.

During interrogation, Tibo said he was a former member of the Cromwel Group based in Antipolo City which stole cash withdrawals from ATMs in various banks in Metro Manila. 

Yabut said an average of five thefts per day of cash withdrawals from ATMs was recorded in Manila, bolstering claims that members of an organized syndicate are involved.

“The figure represents only those reported to us, but we learned that other victims chose not to report the thefts to police and blamed only the banks concerned,” Yabut said.

Tibo, 28, and Edwin Derla, 38, both of Paliparan, Dasmariñas, Cavite were arrested by Yabut’s men in possession of tools and gadgets suspected as cash trapping devices for ATMs.

An ATM from the Bank of the Philippine Islands on Lavezares street in Binondo was tampered with the cash trapping device by the two suspects where five P500 bills and two P200 bills were stuck on a glue adhesive.

The two suspects admitted forcibly installing the device inside the ATM by pretending as withdrawees. Yabut said the suspects used a brand of glue without hardener, maintaining its adhesive capability. BPI officias said the suspects had damaged the cash presenter shutter module and dispenser mechanism of their ATM worth P651,713.

Police are now hunting down other members of the gang, as Yabut urged other banks victimized by the gang to coordinate with him through cell phone numbers 0917-8508855.