A gang behind a £700,000 ATM raid spree has finally been locked up after cops spotted a stolen Audi being hauled away on a flatbed truck.
High-Tech Heists Across the UK
West Midlands Police revealed the crew hit nine banks and shops nationwide, using high-powered angle grinders and even the jaws of life – the emergency tool firefighters use to free trapped motorists. Their crime spree dragged on for nearly a year.
The gang favoured stolen supercars and swapped fake number plates between jobs. They even modified a flatbed truck to smash through business walls during their raids.
Crimes Spanning Multiple Counties
The gang operated from the West Midlands, hitting areas including:
- West Mercia
- Leicestershire
- Avon and Somerset
- Bedfordshire
- Greater Manchester
- Cumbria
- Cambridgeshire
- Northamptonshire
- Staffordshire
They booked holiday lets in Cumbria to use as a base while hitting shops three days in a row, stealing over £128,000 in one spree. Their getaway car? A stolen Audi.
Downfall: Stolen Audi Caught on Flatbed
The police’s major crime unit sniffed them out in the West Midlands. The break came when an officer spotted the stolen Audi being hauled on a flatbed truck. The driver, Daniel Hickenbottom, was arrested for transporting stolen vehicles to avoid detection.
