Siliguri, 29th November: The Panitanki Outpost police of Siliguri Metropolitan Police have busted an ATM fraud gang from Jharkhand, arresting two members of the gang.
The accused have been identified as Sachin Yadav and Pintu Chaudhary, residents of Bihar and Jharkhand respectively. Police recovered devices used to tamper with ATMs and the fraudulently obtained cash from the accused.
According to police, the gang used to enter ATMs and attach a special plastic and device to the cash outlet. When customers were unable to withdraw cash, they would assume the ATM was malfunctioning.
Once the customers left, the accused would remove the trap and withdraw the money, while customers received messages about money being debited from their accounts, causing shock and confusion. Several such ATM fraud incidents had occurred in Siliguri, prompting police to launch a detailed investigation.
Based on a tip-off, Panitanki Outpost police kept a watch on an ATM at Sevoke Road on Friday, where they caught the two accused attempting to withdraw money fraudulently.
Following interrogation, the police traced the operation to the Jharkhand-based ATM fraud gang. The accused admitted to installing devices in ATMs to defraud customers during preliminary questioning.
On Saturday, the Panitanki Outpost police filed a case against the two under ATM fraud charges and produced them in Siliguri court, seeking their remand. The police are continuing a thorough investigation into the matter.