Bombings of ATMs declined by 30% in South Africa between last November and January this year, TechCentral reports.
The decline was revealed by Project Big-Bang, a collaborative initiative by the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric), Online Intelligence, the Petroleum Security Initiative, oil companies and the South African Police Service.
Online Intelligence, one of the partners in the initiative, said in a statement: “This joint effort led to the identification, tracing and arrest of 46 top perpetrators linked to 69 cases. As well as the seizing of explosives, vehicles, firearms, clothing used at the scene and more than R400 000 in dye-stained cash.”
The Big-Bang task team was formed as a response to a 72% increase in ATM bombings between 2019 and 2023, as reported by Sabric.
The initiative ran from May 2024 to January 2025. By working together to identify perpetrators and their modus operandi, the task team was able to create a comprehensive picture of how and why ATM bombings took place.
The project’s initial goal was to cut ATM bombings by 20% — and the 30% achieved was described as an “unmitigated success” by Online Intelligence.
“This project has proved that when industries collaborate, meaningful change happens,” said Mischa Theron, Big-Bang project manager and Online Intelligence representative. “It also highlights how data-driven intelligence can be a powerful force in combating complex security challenges.”
[Image: https://www.needpix.com/photo/download/678609/atm-withdraw-cash-map-ec-card-card-slot-free-pictures-free-photos-free-images-royalty-free]