If you need cash in the Netherlands, plan on getting it during the day or from one of the few indoor ATMs. All the outdoor ATMs in the country will be turned off from 11 pm to 7 am because of bomb attacks.
The emergency measure, agreed by the ministers of justice and finance, together with the Dutch bank association, comes after a series of attacks in which thieves attempt to blow up ATMs to take the cash stored in them. So far this year, there have been over 70 attacks on ATMs, and ABN Amro, one of the largest, closed 470 of its machines altogether.
Most of this year’s attempts were on that bank’s machines. The moves also come at a point where ABN Amro, ING and Rabobank, the three largest operators, have merged their networks to create a new uniform network of Yellow ATMs. The officials say that only a small number of transactions, about 2%, take place during the night hours.
Thieves use the open cash drawer that dispenses the funds to slip plastic explosives into the ATM. The closing will be evaluated at the end of January.
