₹4-crore ATM heist: Accused held from Thane

The Koparkhairane police on Friday arrested the custodian of a cash transfer van tasked with depositing money in ATMs across Navi Mumbai for stealing ₹3.96 crore.

The Koparkhairane police on Friday arrested the custodian of a cash transfer van tasked with depositing money in ATMs across Navi Mumbai for stealing ₹3.96 crore. The accused, who was on the run since December 26, was arrested from Thane.

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The accused, Sachin Wagh, had been employed with Securitrans India Private Limited, a firm which provides cash transfer service to banks. Taking advantage of the thorough knowledge he had of his job, Wagh started planning the heist in the last few months.

A senior officer said Wagh was motivated by greed and his employer company is redoing the audit for the time he has been employed with the company to verify if he has stolen in the past.

Police got the first lead after learning about his hideout in Thane. After chasing him for four days, the police finally managed to nab him on Friday night. Police, however, refused to divulge where exactly he was held in Thane, citing it will hamper the ongoing investigation. “It is a little early to say who exactly were involved with Wagh and we are investigating to identify his accomplices. We are yet to recover the cash. Further interrogation will help us take the case to its logical conclusion,” said Suryakant Jagdale, senior inspector at Koparkhairane police station.

The firm has told the Koparkhairane police that every time the money is deposited in the ATM, the custodian makes an update on the bank server via an online system which is verified by the ATM officer. There is also a physical entry made for the firm’s records.

Wagh was produced before the local metropolitan court on Saturday for police custody.