It’s an unfortunate fact, but currency worth millions gets stolen from cash machines all over the world. Thieves know the police place a low priority on call-outs to this so-called victimless crime of breaking into ATMs, on the basis that CCTV and dye systems will provide evidence for arrest at a later date. But there is an inherent problem with this:

• Opportunist thieves wear hoods and masks to conceal their identity.
• Smart criminals know that lack of maintenance of CCTV systems and failure to embed the time and date often results in low-grade images that cannot be used as evidence.
• Organised criminals are not deterred by dye systems that stain banknotes.

Rising losses confirm that dye is ineffective as a deterrent. Here’s why:

• Banknotes are packed together so tightly that ink dye does not penetrate each note. The stolen cash then becomes available to fund further crimes or maintain a criminal lifestyle; an instant reward.
• Dyed banknotes are accepted by note-changing machines and cash-in-hand labour, as well as in betting shops, casinos, airport currency machines and many personal cash transactions - in other words, money laundering to legitimize the stolen cash.