Rajasthan duo who stole money by tampering with ATMs nabbed

They switched off power unit to mask withdrawal and then claimed refund from bank
Rajasthan duo who stole money by tampering with ATMs nabbed

KOCHI: The police have busted an inter-state gang involved in stealing money from ATMs through a novel modus operandi. It is suspected that more than `10 lakh was stolen from various ATMs in Kochi.

The arrested persons are Ashif Ali, 26, of Alwar and Shahid Khan, 30, of Bharatpur, both in Rajasthan. According to the police, the duo stole money from SBI ATMs located in Ponekkara, Elamakkara and Palarivattom on December 25 and December 26 before returning to Rajasthan. The police launched the probe after the bank lodged a complaint. The men, who mainly concentrated on SBI ATMs, had with them around 44 debit cards of their relatives and friends.

“They used to enter the ATM cabin and first locate the power unit. Then, the money would be withdrawn using the debit cards. The moment the cash was dispensed, they would shut down the power unit before taking out the money. By doing so, the money withdrawn will not recorded by the ATM’s software. At the same time, the debit will be registered in the account.

Later, they would lodge a complaint with the bank that due to a technical error in the ATM, they could not retrieve the money though it was debited from their account. When such complaints are received, SBI refunds the money in five days,” said Kochi Deputy Police Commissioner V U Kuriakose.

During interrogation, the men confessed that `1.15 lakh was stolen from an ATM at Ponekkara alone. However, the police have found that the duo had also targeted the ATMs in other parts of the city. “We suspect that the men have stolen over `10 lakh as some of the banks are yet to notice the thefts. We suspect that the gang had been involved in similar thefts in other parts of the country. More persons might be involved in the crime,” said Jaykumar Chandramohan, assistant commissioner, Ernakulam Central.

The police identified the culprits based on CCTV camera footage from the ATMs. The cops got to know of their whereabouts after it was found that they had rented a bike after reaching Kochi. “We could locate the firm from which the duo took the bike on rent. They had submitted their mobile numbers, home addresses and Aadhaar cards at the firm for getting the bike. Our team wernt Rajasthan and recorded their arrest. We will approach the court seeking their custody for detailed interrogation,” said Vipin R S, sub-inspector at Cheranalloor police station.

Rs 1.15 lakh stolen from Ponekkara alone
The men confessed that Rs 1.15 lakh was stolen from an ATM at Ponekkara alone. However, the police have found that the duo had also targeted the ATMs in other parts of the city. The police identified the culprits based on CCTV camera footage from the ATMs. The cops got to know of their whereabouts after it was found that they had rented a bike after reaching Kochi.

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