Surveillance Footage Highlights Rising Trend of “Jugging” Crimes

Authorities are warning the public about the increasing prevalence of “jugging,” a violent street crime that involves surveillance of banks and ATMs to identify potential victims. The crime typically unfolds when perpetrators observe individuals withdrawing large sums of cash, then follow them to a secondary location where they commit robberies, often inside vehicles.

In recent footage from South Carolina, captured on April 26, a suspect can be seen struggling inside the front passenger area of a red truck before exiting into a silver SUV. The SUV then speeds away from the scene, fleeing the parking lot, as the crime continues.

Blurry image of a robbery in progress — Jugging involves criminals monitoring individuals withdrawing money from banks or ATMs before robbing them at a different location.

Local police explain that jugging criminals typically observe victims during cash withdrawals, noting how much money they take out, and then coordinate a follow-up robbery once the victim leaves the bank or ATM.

Mugshot of a suspected jugging criminal — The crime, which originated in Texas, has now spread to North and South Carolina.

In one South Carolina incident, a landscaping business owner withdrew his weekly payroll, stopped at a gas station, and was followed by a team of two criminals who broke into his vehicle and stole $6,000. Experts note that the practice has grown rapidly, with Texas experiencing a wave of arrests before the crime spread regionally.

Lawmakers in Texas are now working to establish jugging as a distinct felony with penalties more severe than those for simple robbery, in hopes of deterring this dangerous trend.