Steps have been taken to increase patrols in areas where ATMs are available, police said.

Police Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa said legal action has also been taken against the suspects involved in recent ATM robberies.

Meanwhile, an ATM belonging to a state bank at Gattuwana Junction in Kurunegala has also been robbed recently.

Police said a criminal who escaped from prison had stolen Rs. 9 million by cutting the ATM machine with a grinder on the pretext of repairing it.

The suspect is identified as Vidusha Indrajith Adhikari. He had escaped the prison while being imprisoned for stealing Rs.7.6 million from an ATM of a state bank fixed in the car park near the Minneriya Army Camp in the same manner on November 26, 2021.

The 30-year-old suspect is a resident of Eppawala.

A sign had also been placed outside the room where the ATM machine was located stating that repair work was going on.

Therefore, no one had suspected the robbery.Police said he had taken about three and a half hours to cut open the ATM.