LONDON, March 21 ― A gang in the United Kingdom spent months digging a tunnel that connected to a mini-supermarket and have gotten away with tens of thousands of pounds after stealing an ATM, according to a report by the BBC.

The theft took place at a Tesco Express petrol station in Salford, an industrial city near Manchester on March 14. Staffers opening up the shop were stunned to find a hole in the ground connected to a 50 foot-long tunnel.

Police believe the thieves spent a long time plotting the crime, as the bridge was a complex structure, with its roof supported by the building’s foundations. The robbers likely used pick axes and shovels to build the tunnel, which crosses over a wasteland. The debris was disposed of in a nearby canal.

Investigators believe the ATM heist may be linked to two others in the area by a gang known as “Mole in the Wall.” It was suspected the very same group was behind a similar plot in 2007. A 40-foot tunnel was built to break into an ATM inside a retail park in nearby Fallowfield, but the attempt was unsuccessful as electric workers discovered the semi-finished tunnel while laying wires.

Authorities have urged witnesses who may have seen suspicious-looking people “possibly covered in soil” to come forward and provide information. ― Reuters

Staffers at a Tesco Express petrol station in Salford were stunned to find a hole in the ground connected to a 50 foot-long tunnel. — Reuters pic