A MAN who stole £510 from cash machines across Bury using a money trapping device has been jailed for two years.

Marcel Dumitru, aged 35, was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court today (December 2) after being convicted of conspiracy to commit theft from a meter.

Dumitru, who is currently at HMP Dovegate, inserted cash-trap devices in ATMs at Walmersley Road Post Office in Bury and Morrisons in King Street in Ramsbottom.

He stole £510 from eight different people between December 12 last year and February 8 after fixing a device consisting of a metal or plastic plate with a sticky pad attached to the underside across the cash dispenser to catch notes as they were withdrawn.

Customers were tricked into thinking the cash machine had failed to work properly and would walk away, leaving the thief to return to the ATM and steal the cash.

The plan was foiled on February 8 when officers on patrol in Bolton stopped a blue Ford Escort on Bridgeman Place. Dumitru was on the back seat.

Officers checked the car and noticed the sat nav had various cash points and post offices in its history.

After he was arrested officers found 30 blank credit cards, six rolls of double sided and two silver plastic carpet grips.

Petre Tiberiu Ionita, aged 27 and of Little Lever, was charged with being an accomplice to Dumitru after being caught driving the blue Ford Escort and was due to face trial.

He absconded on March 14 and police are appealing for the public’s help in bringing him to justice.

Sergeant Harrison White, of the Prisoner Processing Unit based in Bury, said: "Dumitru used an improvised cash-trap device to con bank customers into thinking ATMs were faulty.

"He cynically preyed on people's confusion to go back after they'd left, retrieve their device and pocket whatever cash had been dispensed.

"The device may have been improvised and relatively crude, but this was a well-planned attempt to steal from innocent members of the public.

"It is frustrating that Ionita was not in court to receive justice.”

Anyone who recognises Ionita or has details of his whereabouts should call police on 0161 856 8181 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.