A man has been arrested for uprooting 30 ATMs in the first half of last year (Representational)
A member of a Mewati gang responsible for uprooting 30 ATMs in the first half of last year and who subsequently went underground has been arrested, the police said.
The accused, identified as Amjad Ali, is a resident of Tawru sub-town in Nuh district. He had uprooted an HDFC ATM in Sector 53 on May 7 and since then been declared a proclaimed offender with a bounty of Rs 50,000.
"We arrested Amjad from near the Gurugram civil court on Tuesday evening. The accused has confessed that he was involved in firing on police teams twice in Mewat region," Crime Branch ACP Shamsher Singh said.
Police said Amjad is part of an organised gang run by one Shahid alias Advani, also a native of Tawru. The gang members were specialists in cutting open or uprooting ATMs. The gang members would tie the ATM kiosk with belts and yank it off its moorings with the help of an SUV. They would then take away the kiosk to the Aravalli range in the Mewat region to cut open the ATMs.
"The gang, with seven to eight members, would roam in an SUV in Gurugram at night to located guard-less ATMs. The accused either broke the lock of the ATM or if they had the time, would use gas cutters to pry it open and take away the cash," the officer said.
The gang-members did not hesitate to attack policemen or individuals if they arrived at scene. They would carry firearms and knives with them, the officer added.
Besides, Amjad has also confessed the he and the other gang members were involved in loot, dacoity, vehicle thefts, tyre theft and battery thefts in Gurugram, Maneser and the Farukhnagar area. We have produced him in Gurugram civil court which granted 3 days police custody," Mr Singh said.