POLICE only had to follow the drag marks to find an ATM stolen in a botched ram raid at Mowbray on Saturday morning.
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According to Tasmania Police, a Mitsubishi truck stolen from a Mowbray business was used to repeatedly smash through glass and into the foyer of the Target shopping complex at 5am.
Once inside, police said the offenders with concealed faces connected a heavy chain to an ATM in the foyer and pulled it onto the pavement, before attaching it to a second car that was stolen from Scottsdale a day or two earlier.
Police said they dragged the ATM about one kilometre and attempted to break it open, but fled just before cops arrived.
As of Saturday night they were yet to be found.
Duty inspector Mark Wright said there was CCTV footage of the incident, and police believed there were three males involved.
The incident comes after a string of burglaries and a fiery ram raid of a Youngtown supermarket earlier this month, but Launceston Sergeant Matthew Stewart said there was nothing to suggest the crimes were related.
Sergeant Stewart said the Mowbray theft had caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage.
■The Northern Criminal Investigation Branch is investigating. Witnesses are asked to call police on 131 444 or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.