Gang Arrested For Stealing ₹20 Lakh From 22 ATMs

A major breakthrough was achieved by the Shahpura police on Tuesday when they busted an interstate gang involved in stealing cash from ATMs by tampering with the cash dispenser shutter. The gang, which included a final-year BTech student as the alleged mastermind, targeted 22 ATMs in the Shahpura, Kolar, and Ashoka Garden areas of Bhopal, stealing nearly ₹20 lakh within a month.

The alleged gang leader, Sonu alias Vipul, a native of Bihar, was pursuing his final year of Computer Science Engineering at a reputed university. He allegedly conspired with his associate Prince Gupta to commit the ATM fraud. They later called four more associates from Bihar, and the group began carrying out the crimes in an organised manner. The other arrested suspects have been identified as Saket Khetan, Sahil Ali, Asif Alam, and Mohammad Sagir.

According to police officials, the gang's modus operandi involved targeting ATMs in the early morning hours. Using a master key, they would tamper with the ATM shutter and cash dispenser by installing a thin metal strip and other devices. This would cause the dispensed cash to get trapped inside the machine instead of being delivered to customers. Gang members would keep watch from a distance and approach customers who had completed a transaction but failed to receive cash, claiming that the ATM had run out of cash. After the customer left, the gang would reopen the shutter and take the trapped currency.

The police have seized ₹50,000 in cash and the car allegedly used in the crimes. The bank accounts of all the suspects have been frozen for further investigation. Transaction records have been sought from the bank to determine the total amount withdrawn. The technique used by the gang was different from card cloning or skimming, as it involved physical tampering with the ATM's cash dispensing mechanism, causing damage to the cash dispensers of several ATMs.

The arrest of the gang has come as a relief to the residents of Bhopal, who had been falling prey to the ATM fraud. The police have warned people to be cautious when using ATMs and to report any suspicious activity immediately. The investigation is ongoing, and the police are working to determine the total amount stolen by the gang.

The incident highlights the need for increased security measures at ATMs and the importance of monitoring transactions regularly. The police have advised banks to take necessary precautions to prevent such incidents in the future. With the arrest of the gang, the police hope to prevent further ATM frauds and ensure the safety of citizens' money.

In a separate incident, two operators were held in a ₹14.69 lakh Bhopal Municipal Corporation property tax scam. However, the details of this incident are not related to the ATM fraud case. The police are investigating both cases separately and are working to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The arrest of the gang is a significant achievement for the Shahpura police, who have been working tirelessly to crack down on crime in the area. The police have urged citizens to cooperate with them in preventing such incidents and to report any suspicious activity immediately. With the help of the public, the police hope to make Bhopal a safer city for everyone.