Two French men who spent months looting ATMs with a simple fork, amassing the equivalent of more than $110,000, have been sentenced to 30 months in prison.
The two suspects, who operated with two other acolytes still on the run, were widespread in the Val-de-Marne department with an approach that combined simplicity and ingenuity, Actu.fr reported on Monday.
The two looters first make a withdrawal using a prepaid bank card and, once the flap opens, insert a fork-like device to block the issuance of banknotes during withdrawals.
According to French media, the group of looters aged around 20, who criss-crossed the Paris suburbs to commit their crimes, usually very early in the morning, were responsible for more than 290 attacks on ATMs.
During their intervention, the police officers who arrested two of the four suspects discovered eight homemade forks in their vehicle and confiscated a large sum of money from their house, it said.