Meghalaya: Interstate ATM theft racket busted, 6 arrested

An interstate racket involved in ATM thefts across several states has been busted, with the arrest of six persons in connection with a break-in at an electronic banking outlet in Meghalayas Ri-Bhoi district, police said on Wednesday. With coordinated efforts and assistance from Assam and Haryana Police, we were able to apprehend the accused involved in the ATM break-in, he told PTI.

An interstate racket involved in ATM thefts across several states has been busted, with the arrest of six persons in connection with a break-in at an electronic banking outlet in Meghalaya's Ri-Bhoi district, police said on Wednesday. The accused were allegedly involved in breaking into an ATM of the Meghalaya Cooperative Apex Bank on April 5, 2024, they said. Three of the accused were arrested from Barpeta in Assam, while the remaining were apprehended from Haryana, police said. Ri-Bhoi SP Giri Prasad M said a special police team was constituted to investigate the case. ''With coordinated efforts and assistance from Assam and Haryana Police, we were able to apprehend the accused involved in the ATM break-in,'' he told PTI. The case was registered at Umiam police station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to police, the gang used gas cutters to break open the ATM safe and fled with the cash within minutes. ''The group is part of a larger network involved in similar ATM thefts across different states. Further investigation is underway to dismantle the entire network,'' the SP added.