Pune police have arrested three men for an ATM fraud scheme targeting elderly citizens, recovering stolen cash and cards in the process
Three suspects were arrested, and they have quite the criminal history. They’ve got seven cases against them in Uttar Pradesh alone.
It all started on January 17. A 56-year-old man named Madhavrao went to an ATM to withdraw some cash. He was threatened at knifepoint and robbed of ₹2,000 right after he withdrew it.
One of the crooks told him to leave his ATM card in the cabin. So, he did what they said. He withdrew ₹500, left the card, and stepped out.
While he was gone, the gang swooped in. One guy stayed outside, while three others were near the ATM. They grabbed the cash and sped off in a silver car with a Delhi license plate.
Later, the victim got a message saying ₹50,000 had been taken from his account. He quickly reported it to the police. They set up a trap at Khed Shivapur toll plaza and caught the three suspects.
The arrested men are Samun Ramjan from Haryana and two others from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. One guy, Adil Khan, managed to escape.
Pankaj Deshmukh, the Pune rural SP, explained how they operated. They used sleight of hand to switch ATM cards and access victims’ accounts. In this case, they even threatened the man with a knife.
The police found 147 ATM cards, ₹50,000 in cash, and the getaway car. They discovered the gang had also scammed another elderly person in Mumbai before heading to Pune.
All three suspects were taken to court and are in police custody until January 22. A case has been filed against them at Rajgad police station.