Six arrested as interstate ATM theft racket busted in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi

An interstate racket allegedly involved in ATM thefts across multiple 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 April 29.

The accused were allegedly involved in breaking into an ATM of the Meghalaya Cooperative Apex Bank on April 5, 2024.

According to police, three of the accused were arrested from Barpeta in Assam, while the remaining three were apprehended from Haryana.

Ri-Bhoi Superintendent of Police 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,” the SP said.

The case was registered at Umïam Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Investigators said the gang used gas cutters to break open the ATM safe and escaped with cash within minutes.

Police suspect the group is part of a larger network involved in similar ATM theft cases in different states.

Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the syndicate and dismantle the entire network, officials said.