Two arrested for using tapes, glues to steal money from ATMs in SoBo

The accused have been identified as Chandan Rajat, 40, a resident of Kolkata, West Bengal and Vikash Paswan, 22, a resident of Gaya, Bihar.

Mumbai: Two people were arrested on Sunday for allegedly sticking adhesive tapes inside the cash window of several ATMs in the city and duping several people who visited it to withdraw money. The accused have been identified as Chandan Rajat, 40, a resident of Kolkata, West Bengal and Vikash Paswan, 22, a resident of Gaya, Bihar.

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Due to the tape, the money used to get stuck inside the machine and most of the people thought that it was a technical glitch and left the ATM kiosk without collecting the money, said a police officer, adding, “The duo then went inside and removed the cash. They have duped several people using the same modus operandi in several ATM kiosks in the city.”

According to the police, the incident came to light on Saturday night after two people went to an ATM situated at Nagpada junction. “They swiped the ATM card and completed the process, however, their money did not dispense from the cash window. They suspected foul play and alerted the bank staff. Following the complaint, the bank staff checked the CCTV camera and found two suspicious persons standing outside. Once the victims came out, they entered the ATM kiosk and were seen removing the black tape from the cash window,” said the police officer.

The technical team of the bank then dialled the Mumbai police control room and informed them that two persons were doing something wrong with the ATM, said the officer, adding that a police team was immediately dispatched to the location.

“On reaching, our team checked the vicinity and found two suspicious persons near the ATM kiosk. We nabbed them for questioning. While searching, we found that they were carrying black coloured tapes and glue bottles,” said senior inspector Mahesh Kumar Thakur of the Nagpada police station.

“During interrogation, the accused confessed that they used to stand near ATMs in the city and kept a watch on who was entering it. Using their modus operandi, the accused had taken money from several people who came to use an ATM,” he added. The duo was booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and both were produced in the court and remanded in police custody till May 18.