A gang that allegedly used a SUV to uproot ATMs and then utilised gas cutters to break open the cash vaults in Delhi-NCR has been busted with the arrest of a 28-year-old man, the police said.

Over the last three months, this gang had allegedly targeted 10 ATMs and made away with around Rs1.5 crore, said a senior investigator, adding that three of these crimes had taken place in Delhi.

Vijay Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (south), identified the arrested man as Sohrab, a resident of Haryana. Kumar said Sohrab was arrested on Friday after a tip-off.

There have been multiple instances in the past when cars with powerful engines were used to break open shutters in the national Capital. But this gang chose to use a SUV to uproot ATMs, the police said.

Sohrab’s interrogation allegedly revealed that he operated with around half-a-dozen men who targeted unguarded ATMs at isolated spots. “In Delhi, they had targeted ATMs in Dwarka, Fatehpur Beri and Najafgarh,” Kumar said.

According to an investigator, the gang would arrive in a white Scorpio, armed with a gas cutter, a long belt and other items. “First they would use the gas cutter to try and break the cash vault. If they failed to break it open that way, they would use the gas cutter to weaken the base of the ATM,” the investigator said.

“Once the base was weakened, they would use the belt to tie the ATM to the Scorpio. A few strong jerks would be enough to uproot the machine. They would then take the machine away to their hideout, where they would have ample time to remove the cash,” the officer said.

“If the public saw them committing the crime, they would shoo them away saying that the cash belonged to the bank, not the public,” said the officer.

First Published: Apr 15, 2019 09:34 IST