ATM thief found by officers hiding in loft after nationwide crime spree

A prolific thief who used cash-trapping devices to steal money from ATMs across England and Wales was found by police hiding in a loft crawl space in is home.

Bogdan Gasparov targeted at least 180 cash machines over a five-month period, stealing more than £16,000. 

Gasparov was identified and arrested following an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) which established he had been repeatedly stealing from ATMs between May and October 2026.

Offending across England, Scotland and Wales

In the eastern region of England, he was responsible for thefts in Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft and Sudbury in Suffolk, Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, Huntingdon and Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, and Harlow in Essex. 

Other areas also targeted by Gasparov included locations close to Nottingham, Oxford, Somerset, Bristol, Derby, Gloucester, Lincoln and the west Midlands, as well as parts of Scotland and Wales.

The 40-year-old disguised his offending by appearing to carry out legitimate transactions, before fitting homemade cash-trapping devices and leaving the area.

Genuine customers attempting to withdraw cash would unknowingly have their money captured inside the device. Gasparov would then return later to remove the trap and collect the stolen cash, before moving on to another location.

Hiding place

The investigation by ERSOU's Proactive Economic Crime Team (PECT) included the review of CCTV footage from multiple offence locations, which repeatedly showed Gasparov at the crime scenes.

On 8 October, officers executed a warrant at his address in Hardie Road, Dagenham. Gasparov was found hiding in a crawl space within the loft.

A search of his vehicle then uncovered clothing worn during the offences, as well as several homemade cash-trapping devices and a large quantity of tools and equipment used to manufacture them. 

Investigators also established that Gasparov, a Moldovan national who used multiple aliases, had in the past been convicted for similar offences and had illegally re-entered the country after being previously deported.

Swift justice

Within 24 hours of his arrest, he had pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court to two counts of theft from an ATM. The charges covered all the offences he committed over the six-month period.

He also admitted knowingly entering the UK in breach of a deportation order, and with possessing articles for use in fraud.

On Monday 9 November, Gasparov was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court to three years and six month’s imprisonment.

Upon his release from custody, it is expected he will face a further deportation hearing.

PECT Detective Sergeant Mike Simpson said:

"This was not opportunistic offending. Gasparov carried out a calculated campaign of theft, targeting cash machines across the country and repeatedly returning to steal money that belonged to unsuspecting customers. “What makes this case even more brazen is that Gasparov had previously been convicted for similar offences and deported from the UK, only to return illegally and resume the same criminal behaviour. "He clearly believed he could stay one step ahead of investigators. He couldn't. Thanks to the determination of our officers and the strength of the evidence gathered, he has now been brought to justice once again."