Police arrest alleged ‘Blue Tack Bandit’ on Gold Coast

Police believe they have caught up with a man behind an alleged sticky scheme to steal money from unsuspecting ATM users across the Gold Coast.

POLICE believe they have caught up with a man behind an alleged sticky scheme to steal money from unsuspecting ATM users across the Gold Coast.

Police yesterday charged a 51-year-old man in relation to the alleged ATM vandalism.

In Friday’s Bulletin it was revealed a man — dubbed the “Blu Tack Bandit” — was alleged to have been put chewing gum or Blu Tack inside the cash dispensing slot of ATMs in Surfers Paradise, Nobby Beach and Mermaid Beach.

An ATM at Nobby Beach has a poster of the wanted man.

Some operators of the machines were so frustrated they had put up posters of the alleged culprit next to their machines warning users if they saw him.

It is alleged the man placed the sticky substance on the dispensing slot meaning money was not able to come out of the machine.

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After customers tried to use the cash points, the man allegedly returned to try and remove the sticky substance and their unclaimed money.

Police caught up with a Coolangatta man yesterday morning when called to an unrelated incident.

The officers on the scene recognised the man as the person wanted for the alleged ATM machine sabotage.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said his attempts were unsuccessful and he had not stolen anything.

The man has been charged with two counts of attempted stealing and one count of wilful damage in relation to the ATM plot.

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He is scheduled to appear in Southport Magistrates Court today.

On Friday, the Bulletin revealed ATM operators were up in arms about the multiple incidents of blocked up ATMs which they claimed had been going on for months.

One machine operator claimed he had refunded about a $1000 to customers who had been unable to retrieve cash despite withdrawals going through electronically.

However, another said while he hadn’t had to pay any refunds, it was putting his machines out of action for hours at a time.

No official complaint had been laid with police but a Surfers Paradise shopkeeper had provided “basic information regarding a possible fraud offence at an ATM”.