E-Paper
Ludhiana police end gang’s ATM card swapping spree with arrest of two
Targeted unwary bank customers at ATM kiosks in various northern states; withdrew money from their accounts after switching their ATM cards
A day after two gangs involved in stealing cash from ATM machines were busted in Khanna, the local police nabbed two members of an inter-state gang that swapped debit cards to steal money.
According to police, the accused fraudulently withdrew money from various ATM machines in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh and other states by targeting gullible bank customers.
As many as 72 ATM cards have been recovered from the accused, identified as Sonu and Bhure, both from Jaloon district in Uttar Pradesh.
“The duo was nabbed from a special check post at Ratanheri Fatak on Tuesday following a tip-off. They used to target people facing difficulty in withdrawing money from ATM kiosks. After offering to help them, they would swap the card with a fake one, and later use the original card to withdraw money from the victim’s bank account,” said Gursharandeep Singh Grewal, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Khanna, while addressing the media on Wednesday.
“They have committed frauds to the tune of over ₹20 lakh in various states. The accused are being questioned about involvement of more gang members,” the SSP said.
Both accused have been booked under Sections 420 (cheating) and 380 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code. They were produced in court that sent them to police custody for further questioning.
