Bitcoin ATM Thieves Strike Atlanta Smoke Shop

A smoke shop in Atlanta, Georgia, was robbed of its bitcoin ATM during a brazen heist this week.

According to a report provided to CoinDesk by the Atlanta Police Department, the Village Smoke Shop on Juniper Street had its Lamassu bitcoin ATM stolen at approximately 10:45 PM EDT on Tuesday night.

Video surveillance of the incident was published earlier today.

The incident report notes:

"When the suspects were confronted by employees, one of the suspects brandished a handgun and fired one into the floor of the business before fleeing with the machine. The suspects were observed entering a late 1980s model red Chevrolet Caviler [sic] with an unknown license plate.”

The video depicts an initial struggle to remove the ATM, which store manager Amanda McCollum says was bolted down to a table. The firearm’s discharge sparked a moment of panic in the store, as shown in the video.

McCollum – who confronted the robbers – said that she initially thought they were reacting to a problem with the machine itself. After the round was fired, McCollum said, those involved fled out and behind the building with the ATM, where a getaway vehicle was waiting. The Atlanta police incident report notes that two additional suspects were waiting in the car.

“[He] shoots the floor, and with the machine walks around back of the shop to the getaway vehicle that was parked behind our back alley and drives off with it,” she told CoinDesk.

Those behind the incident may have been planning the heist for some time. According to McCollum, two individuals came to the store last week and asked questions about the bitcoin ATM. The individuals later stole a wallet from the store’s office.

A representative for the Atlanta Police Department said that so far, there are no indications as to who was behind the robbery.

“Currently there are no leads in this case,” the department said in an email.

A recording of the incident can be viewed below:

Image via Shutterstock