Detectives investigating a spate of high-value cash machines raids across Britain, including one in Perth, have arrested eight men from the north of England.
Police swooped on suspects’ homes early on Tuesday morning and detained men aged between 27 and 41.
Three from the Merseyside area are being questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to cause an explosion and conspiracy to burgle commercial premises.
A further five men, including two from Leigh and Birmingham, were arrested at various prisons throughout the UK.
A ninth man, who was discovered at a house in St Helens during a police search, has also been arrested for an unrelated offence of failing to appear at a court in Scotland.
All nine men have been kept in custody.
Detectives on both sides of the border have been investigating attacks on ATMs from as far north as Kingswell, near Aberdeen, to Swindon in Wiltshire. The offences date back to late 2014.
In January this year, thieves hacked a hole through the wall of Almondbank Service Station on the edge of Perth.
They managed to cut through the metal side of the machine to access the cash. It was the second raid on an ATM in the area in less than a week.
The other Scottish offences under investigated were both in Aberdeen in June and August, last year
In many cases, raiders used high-powered tools and saws to hack their way through shutters of stores containing standalone cashpoints.
Once inside, they wrapped straps or chains around the machine and dragged it outside using a stolen vehicle.
In other incidents, instead of taking the ATM out of the store, thieves have used tubing and gas canisters to spark an explosion and blow the machines open.
Detective chief inspector Alex Dowall from Police Scotland said: “These arrests follow an unprecedented level of join working between Police Scotland and Titan in what is a complex investigation involving specialist resources.
“Crimes of this nature are rare, but impact on our local communities and these communities can be reassured that Police Scotland will use every resource available as part of our commitment to keeping people safe.”
Head of Titan, detective chief superintendent Chris Green added: “We have developed a really strong working relationship with our colleagues in Police Scotland and it is through this that we spotted a common methodology being used to access the cash in ATM attacks on both sides of the border.
“A criminal gang was travelling significant distances to the south of England, as well as to the north-east of Scotland, to commit these crimes and causing a huge amount of damage and risk to the public in the process.”
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