ATM Explosive Burglaries: A Growing Concern

ATM explosive burglaries are a growing concern for financial institutions and law enforcement agencies worldwide.

These brazen crimes have become increasingly common, with a reported 500% increase in explosive ATM burglaries in the past five years.

The use of explosives to gain access to ATMs is often linked to organized crime groups seeking large sums of cash.

In many cases, these groups target ATMs located in isolated areas, such as parking garages or remote locations.

ATM burglars often use flammable substances like air with propane gas or acetylene to blow up ATMs.

They might also use true explosives or pyrotechnics, and in some cases, self-built, improvised explosive devices.

These devices can be detonated remotely, and the perpetrators often operate alone or in small groups at night when there are fewer customers.

In some cases, the perpetrators use "M-type devices", which are hard cardboard tubes filled with explosive material and have a fuse sticking out.

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ATM burglars often use flammable substances like air with propane gas or acetylene to blow up the machines. These substances are commonly used in improvised explosive devices.

The attacks started in the Netherlands, where the number of ATMs was reduced from 20,000 to 5,000 by 2015. This reduction led to gangs expert in the attacks moving to other countries.

Gangs often operate alone or in small groups, and they usually target ATMs at night when there are few customers. Most detonations occur in the early morning hours.

Despite German banks spending over €300 million on additional security, the Federal Criminal Police Office estimated that 60% of attacks on ATMs in Germany succeeded as of 2024. This means that many of the devices are still being successfully detonated.

In many cases, the damage done to the ATM and surrounding area is more than the money stolen. In some cases, the damage is over a million euros.

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Break-ins at stores can be particularly destructive and lucrative for thieves.

In 2020, a group of men broke into stores in the Philadelphia area, targeting ATMs for detonation.

They repeated this process multiple times, hitting Wawa and Wells Fargo locations in addition to a Target store.

The men used "M-type devices", which are typically hard cardboard tubes filled with explosive material and have a fuse sticking out.

These devices are not legally manufactured, sold, or imported in the United States and are classified as Illegal Explosive Devices under federal law.

Son Nguyen, a 44-year-old Mira Mesa man, used homemade bombs to try to blow open ATM machines in San Diego. He was arrested and charged with two counts of using explosives to damage property.

Nguyen made two failed attempts to steal cash from ATM machines in the University City and Rancho Bernardo neighborhoods in June. He came away with federal charges instead of cash.

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The first incident occurred on June 8 at a California Coast Credit Union, where Nguyen used a makeshift bomb constructed from a five-gallon blue plastic container with a white spout and black plastic pipe. The device caused an explosion, but no cash was taken.

A few weeks later, Nguyen targeted an ATM at a First Citizen's Bank in Rancho Bernardo, using the same technique. This time, the electrical wiring at the ATM caught fire, causing smoke but not enabling theft of money.

In a search of Nguyen's residence, investigators found the ingredients needed to make black powder and other equipment and clothing believed to have been used in the attempted robberies.

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