TWO gang members who raided £150,000 from blowing up cash machines have been convicted.

Ermias Fekade, from Hove, Joel Spears and Stephen Fahri planted explosives in four machines across Sussex between January and March last year.

The gang targeted post offices and petrol stations, raiding up to £54,000 from just one cashpoint.

The damage to the machines amounted to around £150,000.

Of the £150,000 stolen, more than £112,000 was from Sussex.

The gang’s first raid was a cash machine outside Bexhill train station, stealing around £5,300 in January.

They then took £33,000 from a post office in Saltdean, £20,000 from one in Shoreham and £54,000 from another in Hurstpierpoint.

Fekade, Spears and Fahri also stole from machines at garages in Kent, Surrey and Buckinghamshire.

The men were caught after attempting to blow up a cashpoint in Southborough, Kent, on April 20, 2017.

A device they planted at a post office failed to explode and the thieves fled the scene.

However, they were arrested nearby following a car crash.

Fekade, 36, from Greenwich and 31-year-old Spears, from Wandsworth in London, denied their involvement but were found guilty of conspiracy to cause explosions and conspiracy to steal.

The trial concluded on Thursday.

Fahri, 36, already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to commit criminal damage. The three face sentencing at Croydon Crown Court next month.

Katie Samways, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a series of dangerous offences putting members of the public who lived in close proximity to the explosions in grave danger. The CPS was able to build a compelling case against these defendant’s using a variety of evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police.

“This evidence included forensics, mobile phone evidence and complex investigation techniques which ultimately led to the defendant’s arrests.

“The common attributes of the offences included the similar early morning timing of the offences, the use of expensive sports cars as mission vehicle’s and all but one of the ATM’s being in post offices or garages.”