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RIYADH: Saudi authorities have succeeded in arresting four men accused of burglary by using satellites and telecommunications technology. 

The office of the Saudi Public Prosecutor, which investigated the burglary, used satellite connectivity to track the suspects, according to details unveiled by official sources.

The investigation stated that an employee at a money transfer company provided the perpetrators with inside information about the movements of money transfer employees in charge of filling ATM machines’ vaults. On the day of the burglary, one of the perpetrators disguised himself as a cleaner. When employees reached the vault to fill it with money, he pulled out a gun and forced them to give him the money. Afterwards, he escaped with a partner who was riding a motorcycle. 

The two men traveled to a third perpetrator who was waiting for them in a car. The one with the money rode in the car and headed with the driver to a hideout, while the one on the motorcycle took another direction to divert police attention. A few days later one of the perpetrators escaped to a neighboring country — which extradited him at the request of the public prosecutor — with a fraction of the money. SPA Riyadh

The investigation resulted in the indictment of the three perpetrators and their accomplice for the armed robbery of SR850,000 ($221,000).

A separate investigation was also launched to inspect the security capabilities of the money transfer company and its compliance with employees’ security requirements.