A thief has been jailed after police found parts of a cash machine during a car stop.
Igor Murzac’s furtive behaviour when he was pulled over in Queen’s Drive, Dunkirk, Nottingham, led officers to search the Mercedes he was driving.
Road crime team officers found cash in the centre console of the car and a rucksack which contained plastic cash blockers.
These devices are used by criminals to skim cash from ATM customers.
Searches also uncovered double-sided tape in the boot of the vehicle following the stop around 9.35pm on 18 March.
Officers were then made aware of an incident in Bracebridge Drive, Bilborough, earlier in the evening, in which it was reported a cash machine had been tampered with.
The parts freed from the machine by officers, and the tape used, were the same as those found in the Mercedes.
Inquiries also revealed the car had been in the Bilborough area around the same time.
Murzac was arrested and charged with a number of offences following further investigations.
The 45-year-old, of Bysouth Close, Clayhall, Ilford, London, pleaded guilty to going equipped for theft, theft from an automatic machine and driving without a licence or insurance when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (20 March).
He was jailed for a total of 12 months.
Detective Sergeant Juliana Gourlay, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Our road crime team’s alertness on patrol has allowed us to catch this thief red-handed.
“Officers were suspicious of Murzac’s behaviour when they pulled him over and their searches found incriminating evidence of what he’d been up to.
“False fronts and skimming devices are used by criminals to steal cash and account details.
“It is important that users of cash machines are always vigilant and look out for any signs that an ATM may have been targeted.
“Look out for unusual and unexpected devices attached to the machine – some are more obvious than others – and if you do see something suspicious, please contact the police and the bank so that action can be taken to protect customers.”
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