The Dehradun police claimed to have busted an inter-State ATM cheating gang, arresting three men on a tip- off and recovered stolen items - a car, 42 ATM cards and Rs 1.59 lakh cash - from their possession on Monday.
The trio is learnt to have been sent to jail in Punjab in connection with the same cases in the past. They use numerous methods to dupe the unsuspecting, including changing ATM cards with them. The gang has its network spread in other states like Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Police said that they would soon arrest the other two members of the gang as it is learnt to comprise five.
The accused have been identified as Rajesh, Rakesh and Ramchandra, all natives of Hisar (Haryana).
Dehradun SSP Sadanand Date said that they had been worried over increasing incidents of transfer or withdrawal of money from ATM machines by the fraudsters. SSP had recently formed a joint team from Patelnagar and Premnagar police stations to crack such cases. Team members began investigating the registered complaints of the above nature.
Investigation revealed that a gang is operational in the state capital with the gang members changing ATM cards with the people who seek their help after helping them with the withdrawal of money. “This is a modus operendi mostly used. However, there are many other means to dupe the unwary,” said a police officer probing the case.
Police received a tip- off about some persons roaming around Telpur area in a car with an intention to commit the same crime. Police acted and conducted vehicle -checking drives at Telpur area. Police arrested three persons found sitting in a car after they failed to answer satisfactorily. They are learnt to have confessed their crimes later while being grilled.
In course of interrogation, the thieves are learnt to have admitted that there are five members in the gang involved in cheating the people through changing ATM cards at ATM machines and other means. The gang is operational in Dehradun besides states like Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Police recovered 42 ATM cards from their possession. They also recovered Rs 1.59 lakh –the sum they had got while cheating the people of Rishikesh, Kotwali, Patelnagar and Premnagar area.
Interrogation revealed that the trio had been in jails earlier in Punjab in connection with ATM theft cases. Team has been formed to arrest the remaining two accused, said SSP Date,