Punjab: Khanna police arrests three members of inter-state ATM fraud gang

LUDHIANA: Khanna police has arrested three members of interstate gang including an electronic engineer involved in ATM fraud. The accused were identified as Mohammad Wazid of Palwal Haryana, Abbas of Nuh in Haryana and Altaf of same area.Addressing media persons on Tuesday afternoon, SP Investigation Khanna, said that a police party got a tip-off that the persons involved in fraudulently withdrawn/stolen money from various ATM machines in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi NCR, UP and other States with help of ATM cards and special equipment are coming in a car and can be apprehended. He added that working on secret information, Police Party set up a special check post at Malerkotla Chowk on G.T. road, Khanna and arrested the accused persons who were coming in the car from Lalheri Chownk on Khanna side.Police officials said that they registered a fraud and theft case against the accused at Khanna city two police station. They added that 11 ATM cards of various Banks and 2 Special steel equipment (Kundi) were recovered from them.Police said that during their interrogation, it has come to light that when accused used to withdraw money from ATM machines after inserting a specially designed steel equipment (Kundi) in the money dispensing tray of ATM machine, money used to dispense out of the tray they would switch off the power supply of ATM machine and withdraw the money by removing that equipment from the tray. The police added that after that they registered an online compliant to the bank for refunding their money which was stuck in the ATM machine.“They have done fraud of 6 crore rupees with various banks by withdrawing money from ATM machines situated at in Goa, Karela, West Bengal, Delhi NCR, UP, Maharashtra and other States. Their other associates belong to villages near by Gangot of district Palwal Faridabad, Haryana. This village Gangot becomes second Jamtara where mostly persons are habitual to commit these types of frauds,” police said. “Their property amounting 2-3 crore rupees has been identified and will be attached/frozen soon. Accused Altaf is an Electronic engineer. Accused are still being questioned, there is a possibility of major disclosures”.