SDRF personnel trying to retreive gas cutters at Dhansiri river.
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Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 17
The Dimapur police have recovered approximately Rs 13.5 lakh and arrested 5 persons in connection with the daring February 20 ATM looting in Dimapur. Commissioner of Police, Kevithuto Sophie, made the disclosure at a press conference on March 16, more than three weeks after the incident occurred.
Sophie did not disclose when the arrests were made, only stating that 2 were arrested from Hojai, 2 from Bokajan and 1 from Dimapur. All five are reportedly history-sheeters with one of them believed to be a “big gangster” in Assam.
They reportedly admitted, during interrogation, to looting atleast three other cash machines in Assam’s Jorhat, Golaghat districts, and one near the Assam-Meghalaya border.
The investigation revealed the suspects to be part of an all-India network operating across states, and connected to more ATM robberies. The CP said that further interrogation and interstate cooperation are ongoing.
“We feel that those won't be only instances, they must have looted other ATMs also. We'll give our best, and we are happy that our SIT could manage to solve this case at the shortest time possible,” the CP said.
They had used an oxy-fuel flame torch to cut through the steel safe of a cash machine located in Kuda, Dimapur, on the wee hours of February 20, and decamped with Rs 25,85,000. The suspects masked their faces and sprayed-painted the CCTV cameras at the ATM kiosk before beginning the cutting process. A prior attempt a week earlier, on February 13, failed due to a faulty gas pressure regulator.
According to the CP, the case was treated as “a prestige issue” for the Dimapur police, promptly forming a Special Investigation Team led by a senior officer. It resulted in the arrest of the 5 suspects in 3 weeks.
He said that it could perhaps be the first in eastern India wherein the police have successfully nabbed suspects, who have applied the aforementioned modus operandi in looting cash machines.
In total, the SIT has recovered Rs 13,50,200, a car, and a two-wheeler used in the commission of the crime. A second car was yet to be recovered. The gas cutters were reportedly thrown into the Dhansiri River, and SDRF personnel are working to retrieve them, the CP said.
