Noida: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday arrested the leader of a notorious gang that allegedly withdrew money from people's accounts by swapping their ATM cards inside the booth, officials said.
They said a rented car used in the crime and 96 ATM cards from different banks were also recovered from his possession. The action comes after the police received a tipoff about the main accused, namely Khurshid Alam, in the case. His accomplices, Arif, Umar, and Zubair, are absconding, and a manhunt was launched to arrest them.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central Noida Shakti Mohan Awasthi said the police received a complaint on October 7 from a resident of Chotpur Colony that some people fraudulently withdrew cash from his account at an ATM located in Chhijarsi.
"While withdrawing money, two persons entered the booth under the pretence of assisting the complainant and discreetly observed the PIN by engaging him in conversation. As planned, the accused swapped the complainant's ATM card in a matter of seconds,” he said, citing the complaint.
“When the money did not come out of the ATM, the complaint went home. However, he found that someone had taken Rs 15,800 from his account. He immediately approached us with a complaint," the DCP said.