Taiwan thief takes $170,000 cash - by stealing 100kg ATM

A thief in Taiwan has gone to great lengths to get what he wants, including taking an entire automated teller machine (ATM), which weighs over 100kg, away with him.

Security footage shows a masked man walking casually to the ATM at King's Town Bank in Tainan city at 3am on Sunday, and spraying the security cameras with paint.

According to news website Focus Taiwan, he then cut the ATM's electrical cord and somehow managed to move it onto a truck before driving away.

He is believed to have an accomplice, especially since the ATM weighs more than 100kg, Apple Daily reported.

A total of NT$4 million (S$170,000) in cash was reported missing.

The most surprising thing though, was that the whole process took only seven minutes, prompting local media to speculate that the thieves are people who are familiar with the bank's operations and could act swiftly without much problem.

Although the security alarm went off, the thieves managed to flee before security guards arrived.

Focus Taiwan reported on Monday that a new ATM was being installed to replace the stolen one.

ljessica@sph.com.sg