Warangal police bust Rajasthan ATM theft gang, seven arrested
Warangal CCS and Kazipet police arrested seven members of a Rajasthan gang that exploited technical flaws in Perto-manufactured ATMs to commit thefts. The gang used duplicate keys and iron sheets to block cash dispensers, tricking customers and later stealing trapped money.
Hanamkonda: Warangal CCS and Kazipet police busted a Rajasthan gang committing ATM thefts by exploiting technical loopholes in the machines in a high-tech way and arrested seven members of the gang.
The accused through an acquaintance studied flaws in ATM machines, manufactured by a Brazilian multinational corporation Perto, which were installed in State Bank of India’s ATM centres.
They made duplicate keys to open the ATMs. Incidentally, the company’s Indian subsidiary, Perto India Private Limited manufactures ATMs at a plant located at Jaipur in Rajasthan.
Briefing the media here on Sunday, Warangal Central Zone DCP Kavitha informed that the accused Arif Khan, Sarfaraz, M Ash Mohammad, Shapus Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Aslam Khan and M. Sharukhas belong to Malkida taluka, Alwar district of Rajasthan state.
The accused opened the front panel of the ATM with duplicate keys and attached an iron sheet to block the cash dispenser slot. Customers would assume there was a problem with the machine and leave. The gang members, on the watch, would then enter the ATM centre and steal the money that was stuck inside.
Later, the customer would receive a message on their phone indicating that the cash was withdrawn from the ATM and it made many customers file complaints with the bank. The accused committed thefts in this manner in several areas of Rajasthan.
After receiving several complaints about this type of theft, the bank officials replaced Perto’s old ATM machines with new ones. With that the gang could not commit thefts in Rajasthan; shifted their focus to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Kerala, where similar ATM machines were still in use and committed more than 40 thefts.
The gang arrived in Warangal, identified ATM centres with Perto ATM machines and stole Rs 12.10 lakh from seven ATMs since last November. With complaints from customers the bank officials alerted Financial Software Securities Limited (FSS Ltd), the third-party company responsible for ATM security and maintenance.
On receiving complaints from FSS Ltd special investigation teams led by additional DCP (Crimes) Bala Swamy, ACP (Crime) Sadayya and Kazipet ACP Prashanth Reddy were formed to investigate the case.
The accused were caught while trying to attach an iron plate inside Perto’s ATM machine at Kazipet Chowrasta. The police seized Rs 5.10 lakh in cash, two cars, seven cell phones, iron plates used in the crime and duplicate keys from them.
Commissioner of Police Sunpreet Singh appreciated and gave rewards to the police officers who demonstrated exceptional skill in apprehending the gang.
