The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) says it is attaching 'dye packs' to all its cash machines following a significant increase in the number of ATM robberies.
The dye packs render the cash unusable and stains the criminals and their vehicles with indelible ink.
Commonwealth Bank spokesman Michael Cameron says the bank will begin installing the packs in all high risk ATMs this month and will eventually be rolled out to all machines.
"The bank takes the disruption of services to customers and the protection of its funds and equipment very seriously and is not going to stand by and continue to see criminals get away with these ATM raids and the destruction of machines," says Cameron.
The packs do not affect the day to day operation of the machine and only come into operation if the machine's security is breached.
The move follows an initiative introduced by the Australian Bankers' Association to offer a reward of $50,000 for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of criminals who commit ATM robberies and ram raids.