New Delhi, February 10: An engineer and a B.Sc. graduate have been arrested for allegedly stealing an ATM and looting Rs 29 lakh in cash from the Wazirabad area, police said on Monday. According to the police, both accused -- Nadeem (28) and Sameer (27), along with their four other associates stole the ATM on February 6. "Both are key members of the Imran gang, involved in the recent ATM break-in and loot in Wazirabad, Delhi. Both were apprehended Nuh in Haryana," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Surender Singh said while addressing a press conference at police headquarters.

According to the officer, the gang had stolen an ATM containing Rs 29.12 lakh. Multiple teams were formed to nab the accused and their location was traced in the Nalhar village in Mewat. With their arrest, the team recovered a car used in the crime, a portion of the stolen cash and the stolen ATM machine found dumped inside of an old well which was covered with tree branches. The robbery took place in the early hours of February 6, when a private bank control room received an alert about tampering at its ATM in Wazirabad. Upon reaching the scene, police found the kiosk empty, with the ATM uprooted and removed. Thrissur ATM Robbery: 1 Member of Gang Involved in Looting ATMs in Kerala Gunned Down, Another Injured After Tamil Nadu Police Shoot at and Nab Suspects.

Investigations revealed that the criminals had planned the heist. To disable security measures, they sprayed black paint on the ATM's security camera before dismantling the machine. They then transported the ATM to Mewat, where they later broke it open using a gas cutter and distributed the stolen cash among themselves. "Our teams spent three days in Nuh, conducting searches in over 15 villages. After receiving a tip-off, officers zeroed in on Nadeem and Sameer in Nalhad village, where they were apprehended following a brief scuffle with locals," said the Joint CP.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed details about the gang's operations. The robbery was executed by six members of the Imran gang, who arrived at Wazirabad in two different vehicles -- a stolen Maruti Eeco and a Breeza car owned by Sameer. While Sameer acted as a lookout, the rest of the gang dismantled the ATM and transported it to Mewat. Police said that Nadeem, a resident of Rupraka village in Nuh, is an Engineer. Despite his qualifications, he never pursued a job and instead started committing crimes in 2017 under the influence of a criminal associate.

He has been involved in at least five cases and met gang leader Imran while serving time in Bhondsi Jail. He joined the gang after his release. He joined the Imran gang and became a key player in ATM thefts, they said. Sameer is a resident of Nalhad village in Nuh. He completed his Bachelors in Science. He worked at a cement company from 2022 to 2024 but later fell into criminal activities after coming into contact with Nadeem in December last year. He was also introduced to the gang's leader, Imran, and soon became involved in the Wazirabad ATM heist. Bidar Robbery: Bike-Borne Robbers Shoot Dead ATM Cash Vehicle Guard, Flee With INR 93 Lakh; Karnataka BJP Suspects Terror Link (Watch Video).

According to the police, they have recovered a stolen ATM machine, Rs 30,500 from Sameer and Rs 17,000 from Nadeem. "Teams are working round the clock to nab the remaining members of the gang, including mastermind Imran and other accomplices.

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