ATM Fraud Kingpin Apprehended After Dramatic Police Encounter in Azamgarh
In a significant breakthrough, Gambhirpur police in Azamgarh district successfully arrested a hardened criminal involved in a series of ATM fraud, theft, and robbery cases. The dramatic arrest followed an intense exchange of fire early Monday morning, during which the accused sustained a bullet injury to his leg.
Police Operation Unfolds on Thekma-Azamgarh Road
According to Azamgarh ASP (City) Madhuvan Kumar Singh, the operation commenced when Gambhirpur police personnel were conducting routine vehicle checks. Informers provided crucial intelligence regarding the movement of a suspect involved in multiple fraud, ATM theft, and robbery incidents. The accused was reportedly traveling along the Thekma-Azamgarh road via the Rohua crossing in an SUV.
Acting swiftly on the tip-off, police teams cordoned off the Rohua Mustafabad area. As the suspect's vehicle entered the zone, officers attempted to intercept it. However, the accused opened fire at the police team in a desperate bid to escape. Police personnel retaliated in self-defense, leading to the accused jumping out of the SUV and attempting to flee on foot. During the confrontation, he suffered a bullet wound to his leg and was subsequently apprehended.
Accused Identified as Sanjay Kumar from Sultanpur
The arrested individual was identified as Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Sultanpur. Following his capture, police conducted a thorough search and recovered a substantial cache of incriminating evidence from his possession. The seized items included:
- A country-made pistol along with cartridges
- The SUV used during the incident
- Equipment specifically designed for cash trapping in ATMs: 11 plastic strips, 1 mould, a cutter machine, 1 metal cutter, and 1 tester
- Three ATM cards
- One mobile phone
- Cash amounting to Rs 2,530
After the recovery, the injured accused was immediately rushed to a hospital for medical treatment.
Investigation Traced to Union Bank of India Complaint
The case came to light following a complaint filed by the manager of Union Bank of India's Ranipur Rajmo branch at the Gambhirpur police station. The manager reported a failed withdrawal attempt of Rs 20,000 from the bank's ATM on January 4. During subsequent cash reconciliation, bank officials discovered no surplus cash in the machine. Examination of CCTV footage revealed an unidentified individual installing a skimming or cash-trapping device on the cash dispenser. This device caused cash to become stuck at the dispenser's mouth, allowing the perpetrator to retrieve it later.
Confession Reveals Organized ATM Fraud Network
During preliminary interrogation, Sanjay Kumar confessed to his involvement in organized ATM fraud activities along with several associates. He detailed a systematic modus operandi where the gang would identify ATMs at various locations and tamper with them to trap cash. The technique involved:
- Installing a device that obstructed cash dispensing when a user attempted a withdrawal
- Waiting for the user to leave the ATM booth, assuming the transaction had failed
- Removing the trapping strip and extracting the stuck cash
- Equally dividing the illicit proceeds among all gang members
Kumar admitted to using this method to commit multiple ATM fraud incidents across various areas within Azamgarh district, confirming his active criminal presence in the city.
This arrest marks a significant victory for Azamgarh police in their ongoing crackdown on financial crimes and organized fraud networks targeting banking infrastructure.
