In a major breakthrough in the sensational ATM robbery that took place at Kuda village, here on February 20, Dimapur Police arrested five suspects.
Burglars had looted approximately Rs 25,80,000 from the ATM in the wee hours that day. What stood out in the heist were the facts that the burglars took merely 11 minutes to loot the ATM, their planning in black spraying the CCTV, and having several getaway vehicles on the standby.
Addressing media at his office here on Monday, Dimapur Commissioner of Police (CP) K Sophie disclosed that upon receiving information about the heist, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by assistant commissioner of police (ACP) East Dimapur, Imkongsangba, and assisted by IPS probationer Aekant Jain, along with other officers were formed. And after around 20 days, he claimed that the STI hunted down the culprits involved.
He mentioned that initially four were arrested from Assam, while one was apprehended later in Dimapur. The individuals arrested from Assam have been identified as Sana Ullah, Amir Hussain, Raja Deb, and Harun Rashi. The identity of the individual arrested from Dimapur was not disclosed due to the ongoing investigation.
He further stated that one of the accused from Assam was reportedly a notorious gangster in the neighbouring state, adding that when the police went to apprehend him, local residents attempted to offer resistance, which led to tension in the area.
However, he mentioned that the SIT successfully executed the arrest despite the challenges. Sophie claimed that during the interrogation, the culprits revealed that they used oxy-LPG cutter to carry out the heist, adding that they had initially attempted to rob the ATM on February 13.
But, their plan failed when the gas regulator pressure of the oxy-LPG cutter malfunctioned during the trial run. Subsequently, they procured a new gas cutter from Nagaon and looted the ATM in the early hours of February 20, and left for Hojai.
While the police have managed to recover Rs 13,50,200 from the arrested individuals, he said that efforts were underway to trace and recover the remaining amount.
In addition to the stolen cash, he stated that the police also recovered a Swift Dzire and a two-wheeler used in the crime, while they were on the lookout for another vehicle (Swift) reportedly used in the robbery.
Furthermore, the CP claimed that the accused also admitted to disposing of the gas cutter in the Dhansiri river, whereby, a search operation by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was currently underway to retrieve the equipment.
During the interrogation, he said the police also ascertained that the accused had previously looted three ATMs in Assam, and authorities suspect their involvement in several other cases. He suspected that the arrested individuals might be part of a larger interstate gang involved in ATM robberies across India.
Sophie expressed firm believe that the arrest could help solve multiple ATM theft cases across different states, adding that this arrest could be a first case of its kind in eastern India. He commended the SIT for their swift and efficient action in solving the case.
Since the investigation is still ongoing, he refrained from divulging further details at this stage.