Itanagar: Law enforcement authorities in Capital have successfully apprehended a local resident suspected of being involved in a spate of ATM damage and fraudulent transaction cases.
This development comes in response to a complaint filed by the chief manager of SBI, Itanagar, who reported a surge in ATM damage cases and unauthorized transactions affecting the Itanagar Capital Region in recent months.
The case, formally registered as Itanagar PS Case No.206/2023, invoking Sections 380/427 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in conjunction with Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, saw rapid action by a specially constituted team of officers.
A dedicated team, comprised of Itanagar police station officer-in-charge inspector K Yangfo, inspector S Roy, sub-inspector A K Jha, sub-inspector Tate Diri (the investigating officer of the case), constables Sandeep Yadav and Nabam Chakam, under the leadership of Itanagar SDPO, Kengo Dirchi, was swiftly assembled to delve into the matter.
Capital superintendent of police Rohit Rajbir Singh said the team meticulously reviewed surveillance footage from the affected areas, ultimately leading them to a prime suspect.
Following meticulous planning, a sting operation was executed on the evening of September 3, 2023, near Gandhi Market, opposite Heema Hospital. The suspect, subsequently identified as Tabi Hilli, was apprehended during the operation.
Hilli, 29, is a native of Shi-Yomi district and presently resided at Pachin Colony, Naharlagun.
In the course of comprehensive questioning, the suspect divulged his intricate modus operandi. “He admitted to strategically inserting stones or iron objects into the shutter assembly of ATMs, effectively causing the cash to become ensnared when customers attempted withdrawals. This resulted in deductions from customers’ accounts. Post-customer departure, the suspect would enter the ATM booth, remove the obstructions, and, utilizing a key, access and pilfer the immobilized funds,” the SP said.
Startlingly, it emerged that the accused had been perpetrating such crimes since 2019, with over 100 attempts, including 26 at the ATM of Zero Point, Itanagar. The suspect managed to purloin currency notes exceeding Rs 4 lakh during this spree, Singh added.
As part of the ongoing investigation, law enforcement officers successfully retrieved a stolen scooty that was suspected to be associated with the suspect.
Also read: Arunachal: Police solves 6-month-old theft case, 1 arrested
