Siliguri, November 29 (Siliguri Chronicle) – The Panitanki Outpost of the Siliguri Metropolitan Police has successfully busted an ATM fraud gang operating in the region, arresting two of its members.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sachin Yadav, a resident of Bihar, and Pintu Chaudhary, from Jharkhand. During the operation, the police recovered several devices reportedly used to tamper with ATMs, along with cash that was obtained through fraudulent means.
According to the police, the gang used a cunning method to defraud ATM users. They would enter ATMs and attach a specially designed plastic device to the cash dispenser. When customers attempted to withdraw money, the trap prevented the cash from coming out, leading them to believe the ATM was malfunctioning.
Once the customers left, the accused would remove the device and withdraw the trapped cash. Meanwhile, the customers would receive messages indicating that the money had been debited from their accounts, leaving them shocked and confused.
Authorities added that multiple such ATM fraud incidents had been reported in Siliguri, which prompted the police to launch a thorough investigation that eventually led to the arrest of the gang members.
Acting on a tip-off, the Panitanki Outpost police kept a close watch on an ATM on Sevoke Road on Friday, where they caught the two accused in the act of attempting to withdraw money fraudulently.
During interrogation, the police traced the operation to a Jharkhand-based ATM fraud gang. The accused reportedly admitted to installing devices in ATMs to cheat customers during preliminary questioning.
On Saturday, the Panitanki Outpost police filed a formal case against the two under ATM fraud charges and produced them in the Siliguri court, seeking their remand. Police officials stated that a thorough investigation into the matter is ongoing to identify any additional gang members and related activities.
