After two day wait, Nigerian held from outside Bengaluru ATM for cyber fraud

The suspect allegedly transferred money from the accounts of people after remotely taking control of their phones using malware

HT Correspondent

Nigerian national Okwudiri Paschal (40) along with the police team from Tilak Marg police station. (Sourced)

After waiting in turns for over two days outside an ATM in Bengaluru’s Banaswadi area, a Delhi Police team arrested a Nigerian national for allegedly transferring money from the accounts of people after remotely taking control of their phones using dubious links sent to the mobiles.

Police said they had been tracking the suspect, identified as Nigerian national Okwudiri Paschal (40), who had been withdrawing the looted money from the specific ATM in Banaswadi.

Delhi Police officials said they were put on Paschal’s trail after a Delhi resident claimed that he lost money on November 2 after he clicked on a link sent to him from an unknown number. The man had then approached the Tilak Marg police station in Delhi, after which police registered a case on November 5 and traced the details of the bank account where the money was moved to.

Investigators checked the withdrawal from the bank account and found that a man in Bengaluru had been withdrawig the cash at an ATM. Before leaving for Bengaluru, the five-member team also got photographs of the possible suspect from the ATM camera.

Deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said that this was the first case in which a Delhi police team laid a trap outside the Bengaluru ATM and caught the suspect red handed.

“While investigating the case, we found out that as soon as any victim transferred the amount in the bank, the same was being withdrawn. On November 16, two teams of Delhi police laid a trap outside the Meenaat Federal Bank of Banaswadi bank in Bengaluru and spotted Paschal red handed. He was withdrawing ₹20,000 from the ATM,” said Paschal.

DCP Yadav said that Paschal sensed police had spotted him and tried to flee. “While trying to flee, he collided with a scooter, which also fell down. The Delhi Police team arrested the accused from the spot. Seven other ATM cards, numerous SIM Cards, and four mobile phones were also recovered from his possession. We have brought him to Delhi on transit remand,” he added.

A city court on Friday sent Paschal to police custody for eight days. Police said they are trying to identify the other members of Paschal’s gang.

In the last few months, Delhi police have come across several cases of cyber criminals using malware to hack the phones of the victims. The Delhi police cyber cell regularly issues advisories urging citizens not to click on links from unknown people or groups.