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Bungling bank robbers escape police, but leave empty handed

Detectives have been left dumbfounded after bumbling burglars managed to slip through their grasp on the Gold Coast.

The target was a Suncorp ATM and the crime was well planned - but poorly executed.

Wearing bulletproof jackets, police believed they were about to bust some wannabe bandits - only to find an empty room.

Police think they are about to bust the burglars - but they are about to be proven wrong. Source: 7 News
Police think they are about to bust the burglars - but they are about to be proven wrong. Source: 7 News

Detectives frantically searched other stores at Labrador Shopping Centre, before realising the robbers' escape route was above them.

Police realise the bungling wannabe thieves have made their escape. Source: 7 News
Police realise the bungling wannabe thieves have made their escape. Source: 7 News

The burglars used an angle grinder to cut a hole in the roof, but their entrance wasn't faultless, tripping a sensor alarm that triggered an emergency response just before 3am on Thursday morning.

The robbers came in through the roof of the building. Source: 7 News
The robbers came in through the roof of the building. Source: 7 News

"A bit surprising this morning, you just wonder who's hanging around at night, don't you?", butcher Ian said.

"You just don't know who is around."

The automatic teller was guarded by security while forensic investigators looked for more evidence later on Thursday.

Police returned later on Thursday to gather more evidence. Source: 7 News
Police returned later on Thursday to gather more evidence. Source: 7 News

A Commodore was towed away, identified as a car of interest.

A red Commodore was towed away. Source: 7 News
A red Commodore was towed away. Source: 7 News

"When you've got something as orchestrated and planned as that event, you've always got to think of what the motivation is," Asst Comm Brian Codd said.

"It's very rare that someone putting that much planning in will do it one-off."

Police are not linking the attempt to a spate of robberies in Brisbane earlier in the year. Source: 7 News
Police are not linking the attempt to a spate of robberies in Brisbane earlier in the year. Source: 7 News

However police have not yet linked the incident to a string of similar thefts across Brisbane earlier this year.

Security experts who examined the ATM on Thursday morning admit the offenders had the right tools, but not the know-how.

They damaged the safe but couldn't get inside.

They left empty-handed after outsmarting the men, but not the machine.