Four men have been arrested after nineteen cash machine raids across England and Wales. They were held after a dramatic chase by Cheshire police.
Three of the men, aged 27, 32 and 35, were detained in Moira, Leicestershire following a pursuit by officers from Cheshire Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit. A fourth man, aged 32, was arrested at a property on Lescelles Street in St Helens after a warrant was executed.
Shortly prior to the arrests a burglary occurred at a Co-operative store on Shortheath Road in Moira at 3.45am on Thursday 7 July. The store had been broken into in an attempt to steal the cash machine inside.
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In a statement Cheshire Constabulary said: "After the attempt was unsuccessful the suspects are alleged to have left the location in a black BMW that was stopped and recovered by police. All of the men have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and remain in police custody for questioning."
In one of the 19 raids thought to be linked a gang escaped with thousands of pounds in an Easter cash machine raid in Warrigton. It is thought the criminals were expecting the device to be full ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend.
Four offenders armed with sledgehammers and an angle grinder targeted the ATM at the Nisa Local Store in Longshaw Street, Dallam, at 2.40am today. (Good Friday). Cops were on the scene within minutes after being tipped off but the gang rammed a police vehicle to get away.
The gang is suspected of being behind raids in Cheshire, Merseyside, Manchester, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and Leicestershire. Detective Chief Inspector Ian Murray, from Cheshire Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “The arrests are part of an investigation into approximately 19 attacks on cash machines that occurred between Saturday 12 March 2022 and Thursday 7 July 2022.
“Our investigation began after one of the cash machines was targeted on Longshawe Street in Warrington.
“The investigation remains ongoing but sends a clear message that we are relentless in our pursuit of catching individuals who we suspect of travelling to Cheshire, and to other parts of the country, for the purposes of committing serious and organised crime.”
