Abu Dhabi: Six out of an 11 member gang have been sentenced to 64 years in prison for blowing up a Riyadh ATM machine and stealing SR1.4 million, local media reported.
The Criminal Court ordered SR700,000 siezed with them be confiscated. It also ordered the men, a Saudi and five expatriates, to repay the balance of the stolen money. The court ordered confiscating the vehicle used in the heist.
In February, six members of the criminal gang were arrested after blowing up a bank ATM in Al Jazirah District, south of Riyadh, and escaping with more than SR1.4 million in cash.
Stolen money
Five other men fled Saudi Arabia after the robbery on Feb. 15, smuggling SR500,000 of stolen money out of the country, according to Riyadh police spokesman Col. Shaker bin Suleiman Al Tuwaijri.
A Saudi team specialising in criminal investigation identified 11 men involved in the bank raid, he said. The gang included four Egyptians, a Bulgarian and a Russian, along with two Saudis and one Yemeni.
Six alleged gang members were arrested with a vehicle and tools used to carry out the theft, as well as SR700,000 in stolen cash.
Authorities are working to bring back the five men who fled the kingdom and recover the remaining money, Al Tuwaijri said.
