Police have broken up a gang who were giving step-by-step bomb tutorials on how to blow up cash machines.
The operation was being run from the Netherlands and led to ATMs being targeted in Germany, culminating in a loss of $2.5 million.
Europe's crime agency Europol led a joint investigation with the Dutch and German authorities to catch the gang.
It led to the arrest of nine people and seven raids in areas around Utrecht, Amsterdam and The Hague.
The investigation was first launched 18 months ago after authorities in Osnabruck, Germany, identified suspicious orders of ATMs from a German company.
Special surveillance measures were put in place, which led the investigators to Utrecht in the Netherlands.
"A 29-year-old individual and his 24-year-old accomplice were running an illegal training centre for ATM attacks," Europol said.
"There, the pair was ordering different models of ATMs and recording tutorials on how to most effectively blow them up."
Police had a breakthrough when one of the gang members accidentally died during a test run.
"The criminals were producing step-by-step tutorials on how to blow up cash machines, and have been linked to at least 15 ATM attacks in Germany," Europol said.
"The cash machines were blown open using homemade explosive devices, posing a serious risk for residents and bystanders.
"During one of the test runs of an explosion, one of the suspects died, with another suspect getting seriously injured."
The investigation culminated in a series of police raids on Tuesday.
Those arrested in the Netherlands now face extradition proceedings to Germany.
Explosive attacks against ATMs are a growing concern, because they often put residents’ and bystanders’ lives in danger," Europol said.
"To prevent and tackle this type of crime, a close co-operation between law enforcement and the ATM industry is paramount.
"In this regard, Europol and the European Crime Prevention Network have worked on a number of recommendations to prevent physical attacks against ATMs."
Latest figures show losses in EU member countries from ATM attacks in 2017 was €30 million ($34.8m).
"Some countries continue to witness a significant number of physical attacks on ATMs, others have experienced a significant increase in the number of these incidents over the past two years," Europol said.
"Not only banks are affected, increasingly ATMs from independent providers are attacked because they are often in more vulnerable premises or locations.
"To set up an efficient set of preventive measures, the installation of a national authority that has the power to impose specific measures for high-risk ATMs, based on a thorough analysis of the situation, is best practice. This approach has been proven effective in France."
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
ENGLAND SQUAD
Team: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds
Replacements 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Francesco Totti's bio
Born September 27, 1976
Position Attacking midifelder
Clubs played for (1) - Roma
Total seasons 24
First season 1992/93
Last season 2016/17
Appearances 786
Goals 307
Titles (5) - Serie A 1; Italian Cup 2; Italian Supercup 2
