Ajman gang 'tried to blast ATM open'

Gang of three broke into bank in Ajman City at 3.30am but safe withstood gas blast.

AJMAN // Three Asian men have been arrested on suspicion of trying to blow open an ATM using a gas cylinder.

The gang is accused of breaking into a bank in Ajman City at about 3.30am on Friday and trying to blast the ATM's safe open by igniting gas.

But it would not give and the robbers fled the scene in a vehicle without number plates.

Police were not told about the attempted robbery until 7.30am because the bank's alarm had been switched off.

When forensics experts arrived at the scene, the ATM was blackened by smoke from the blast but still intact.

Officers took fingerprints and identified one of the suspects as a driver in his early 20s. He was arrested and led officers to the car used in the robbery, and told police where to find two other suspects.

They were arrested and all three have been referred to prosecutors.

The director of Ajman Police CID, Col Abdullah Al Matroushi, said the incident was the first of its kind in the emirate and officials were launching a bank security campaign.

"We are urging all local banks to boost their safety and security, and those without an alarm system linked to the operations room to connect it immediately," he said.