Gardaí held over alleged ATM scam released without charge

Two Gardaí arrested yesterday in relation to suspected ATM fraud have been released without charge.

The men, who both have been working with An Garda Siochána for less than ten years, were questioned in Leixlip Garda station about a fraud allegedly conducted at bank ATMs in the Dublin area in which a four-figure sum is believed to have been taken.

The men are both uniformed members based at the same station in west Dublin. They were released late last night. A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Gardaí are examining if the men took some notes dispensed by an ATM while leaving other notes to be swallowed by the machines’ automatic safety mechanisms in the belief that an ATM can only determine that some notes have been left in the dispenser, but cannot tell how many notes have been swallowed.

The men were both suspended from duty by Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan pending the outcome of the criminal probe by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the force's serious crimes squad.

A woman in her 30s was also arrested in Dublin last night in relation to the investigation. She is currently being detained in Leixlip Garda station.