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| Interstate ATM fraud syndicate busted by Banihal Police | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 27: In a major crackdown on an interstate ATM fraud racket that allegedly preyed on elderly and unsuspecting people, Banihal Police have arrested three alleged conmen from Leh, Ladakh, after a high-stakes operation spanning hundreds of kilometres.
The three accused, all residents of Uttar Pradesh, are suspected to be members of a well-organised interstate gang that allegedly duped senior citizens and illiterate people by swapping their ATM cards and siphoning off money from their bank accounts.
Police said preliminary investigations indicate that the gang specifically targeted elderly and first-time ATM users who were unfamiliar with operating automated teller machines. Posing as Good Samaritans, the accused would offer assistance inside ATM kiosks, secretly exchange the victims’ debit cards with similar-looking ones, and later use the stolen cards to withdraw cash from their accounts.
Investigators suspect the gang may have cheated several victims in different parts of the region, and questioning of the arrested accused is underway to ascertain the full extent of their operations.
The breakthrough came after a woman lodged a complaint at Police Station Banihal on June 17, alleging that she had been cheated at an ATM near the Banihal Bus Stand after her debit card was swapped.
Acting swiftly, police registered FIR No. 127/2026 under Sections 303(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unidentified persons and launched an intensive investigation.
Using a combination of technical surveillance, digital analysis, and human intelligence, investigators traced the suspects’ movements to Leh, Ladakh.
A special police team was immediately dispatched, which, after sustained surveillance, successfully tracked down and arrested the three accused.
The arrested persons have been identified as Arjun, son of Raj Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Shivam Kumar, son of Jagpal Singh, a resident of Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, and Monti, son of Pahal Singh, a resident of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
After obtaining a transit remand from the competent court in Ladakh and completing the required legal formalities, the police team brought the accused to Banihal for further interrogation.
Police believe the arrests could help crack a wider ATM fraud network operating across multiple states. Investigators are now examining whether the gang was involved in similar cases elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country.
Efforts are also underway to recover the money allegedly withdrawn from the victims’ bank accounts and identify other members of the racket.
Senior police officials described the operation as a significant success against organised financial crime and urged people, particularly senior citizens, never to accept assistance from strangers while using ATMs or disclose their PINs to anyone. |
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