A seven-member inter-State gang from Rajasthan was arrested by CCS and Kazipet police for stealing cash from Perito ATMs installed at SBI branches in Telangana. The gang used metal sheets and duplicate keys to trap money in ATMs and steal it after customers left, police said.
During the operation, authorities seized Rs 5.1 lakh, two cars, seven mobile phones, iron plates, and duplicate keys. Central Zone DCP Dara Kavitha praised the police team for their alertness, courage, and effective use of technology in tracking the gang across Mahabubabad, Bhupalpally, Warangal, and Hanumakonda districts, arresting them within 24 hours.
The accused members — Arif Khan (23), Sarfaraz (24), Ash Mohammad (29), Shappus Khan (33), Shah Rukh Khan (33), Aslam Khan (33), and M. Shah Rukhas (27) — hail from Alwar district, Rajasthan, from villages Khareda, Beejwada Naroka, Moreda, and Mahavakard. According to the DCP, the gang, all acquaintances, initially struggled to maintain their lifestyle and decided to earn money through theft.
They studied loopholes in Perito ATMs and created duplicate keys to open ATM panels. The gang secretly inserted iron plates in the cash-dispensing path so that withdrawals would get stuck. Customers, thinking it was a technical fault, left the ATM, allowing the gang to access and steal the trapped cash.
Once the customer received a message confirming withdrawal, complaints were filed at the bank, prompting authorities to eventually replace old Perito ATMs with new machines, reducing the gang’s opportunities in the state.
