In a significant breakthrough, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has apprehended the alleged mastermind behind a daring series of ATM thefts across North India, culminating a nearly year-long interstate manhunt. The accused, identified as Mubarik Ali (37), was arrested on Friday, December 27, 2025, from the Mewat region, bringing a complex investigation closer to completion.
The Crime and The Chase
The arrest is linked to a high-profile case from February 6, 2025, where an Axis Bank ATM in Delhi's Wazirabad area was forcibly removed and stolen, resulting in a loss of over Rs 29 lakh. The gang involved had sprayed paint on CCTV cameras inside the kiosk before making off with the machine. Initial probes swiftly pointed to a gang operating from the Mewat region, leading the police to transfer the case to the Crime Branch for a thorough crackdown.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Pankaj Kumar stated that within three days of the incident, on February 9, two of the six accused were arrested from Nuh in Mewat. Interrogations revealed that the remaining suspects were scattered across the country and were operating under the directions of Mubarik Ali, who had been absconding since the February theft. Courts in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana had declared him a proclaimed offender and issued non-bailable warrants against him.
A 2,000-Km Technical Surveillance Operation
The breakthrough came through persistent technical surveillance. Police teams tracked Ali's movements as he traveled from Maharashtra to Rajasthan. After monitoring his route for over 2,000 kilometres, the Crime Branch team finally zeroed in and arrested him on Friday. Ali, a resident of Palwal in Haryana by profession a truck driver, is believed to have used his knowledge of long-distance travel to evade capture.
A Lengthy Criminal Record
Investigations have uncovered that Mubarik Ali is not new to crime. Officers revealed he is allegedly involved in at least 10 criminal cases, including other ATM thefts, attempted murder, and violations of the Arms Act. His arrest is seen as a major step towards dismantling the network responsible for these audacious crimes. The police are currently interrogating him to uncover further details about the gang's operations and possibly solve other connected cases.
This arrest underscores the Delhi Police's focus on tackling organized crime that spans state borders, utilizing coordinated surveillance and investigation techniques to nab elusive offenders.
