Dimapur police have arrested five individuals suspected of stealing Rs25.85 lakh from an ATM booth located at Half Nagarjan in the early hours of February 20.
Dimapur Police Commissioner Kevithuto Sophie shared details on Monday, revealing that two suspects were arrested in Hojai (Nagaon district, Assam), two in Bokajan (Karbi Anglong district, Assam), and one in Dimapur. Four of the arrested have been identified as Sana Ullah (38), Amir Hussain (41), Raja Deb (25), and Harum Rashid (29)—all from Assam. The identity of the fifth individual has not yet been disclosed.
Police recovered Rs13,50,200 of the stolen money from the accused, along with a car and a two-wheeler used during the theft. Efforts are ongoing to recover a second vehicle involved.
Immediately after the crime, a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by East Dimapur ACP Imkongsangba Jamir was formed to investigate the case. Commissioner Sophie praised the team for their efforts, calling the case “almost next to impossible to solve.”
Interrogations revealed the accused used an oxy LPG cutter to break into the ATM chamber. Their first attempt on February 13 failed due to a faulty gas pressure regulator. They procured a replacement from Nagaon and successfully looted the ATM on February 20 after spraying black paint on CCTV cameras and wearing masks.
The oxy cutter was reportedly discarded in the Dhansiri river at Full Nagarjan. Police attempted to retrieve it with divers but were unsuccessful. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been called in to aid recovery efforts.
Further investigations uncovered the gang’s involvement in three other ATM heists in Golaghat, Jorhat (Assam), and Meghalaya near the Assam border.
