BHOPAL: Cyber-crime branch on Monday claimed to have arrested three members of a Haryana based gang which targeted ATMs using a tool and after tampering the ATM, fraudulently siphoned lakhs of rupees. The gang members had targeted over 100 ATMs in Bhopal from April to September and siphoned over Rs 10 lakh.
Cops said that the gang may have two or three more teams of three members each. The accused learnt the trick to fraudulently withdraw money from ATMs through videos on internet. They used different ATM cards to withdraw money from the ATMs of a particular model.
One of their gang members stayed in Bhopal for around 10 years and helped the accused by conducting a recce of ATMs to target. They had targeted ATMs in Jumerati, Nabibagh, Ayodhya Nagar, Shahpura, Itwara, Bajaria, Chhola, Nishatpura, Ashoka Garden and Aishbagh. Police have now sent a notice to the banks and cash management and ATM maintenance companies.
SP (South) Sai Krishna S Thota said that complainant Premprakash Ranga, 40, a resident of Bag Sewania, who is an official in an ATM maintenance company, filed a complaint with police on August 13 against the unidentified accused. On the basis of technical analysis, police nabbed accused Manish, Shahrukh and Arif, all residents of Sapanki village in Palwal district of Haryana.
ASP Ankit Jaiswal said that during technical analysis police found that the accused used a bike to reach the ATMs and parked it near Bhopal railway station. Police kept an eye on the bike with help of Hanumanganj police for a month and when the accused came to take it out from the parking, they were detained. The accused conveniently came to Bhopal from Haryana and visited various ATMs on the bike. After targeting the ATMs, they parked the bike back at the spot and fled back to Haryana by train. Police are searching for the other gang members.
