Unidentified thieves used a JCB excavator to take away an ATM from Punjab's Muktsar town, police said Wednesday.

 

 The ATM machine of Punjab and Sind Bank in Muktsar, 260 km from here, contained cash of over Rs.4.6 lakh, bank officials told police.

 

 Police officials said they were trying to ascertain who was behind the theft late Tuesday night, and added the thieves came well prepared with a JCB machine to uproot the ATM machine.

 

 "The machine was not properly installed at its base. There was no security at the ATM and the CCTV cameras were also not functioning. We are talking to the bank officials," said Muktsar district police chief Surjit Singh.