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Hyderabad: Three individuals involved in an HDFC ATM theft were nabbed by the police on Thursday, July 17, and cash worth Rs 17 lakh, along with four two-wheelers, were seized from their possession.

The accused have been identified as Yasib Hussain alias Asif Haarun Khan, 28 and Md Abed, 31, both residents of Haryana and Aamir Aansri, 24, a resident of Hyderabad.

On the intervening night of July 8-9, between 2:30 am to 3:30 am, the gang entered the HDFC ATM at Markhandaya Nagar, Hyderabad, cut the ATM with gas cutters and committed theft of cash worth Rs 34.71 lakh and fled from the scene.

A case was registered under sections 331(4), 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and subsequent arrests were made by officials of the Central Crime Station (CCS), Balanagar, and Jeedimetla police on Thursday.

How did masked thieves rob an HDFC ATM in Hyderabad?

According to the police, the notorious gang has a history of committing ATM thefts across various states in India.

Their modus operandi involves forming small groups and conducting recce at ATMs, specifically those located in isolated or closed areas and equipped with external shutters. They would procure cutters from nearby shops and steal two-wheelers to use for commuting to and from the crime scenes.

Upon reaching the target ATM, in this case the HDFC ATM in the isolated area of Hyderabad, they would cut the CCTV wires to conceal their identity and then use gas cutters to steal the cash then flee on the stolen motorbikes.

In this instance, the stolen vehicle was abandoned within the Gummadidala police station limits. The gang then stole another two-wheeler in Kamareddy, using it to travel to Adilabad, where they abandoned it as well.

From Adilabad, the gang split into two teams and escaped by boarding trucks, ultimately returning to their respective native places.

Accused are history sheeters

The accused have been involved in more than 30 house burglaries, ATM and automobile thefts under the limits of police stations across India and have been imprisoned several times.

Yasib Hussain was previously convicted under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act and was sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.

Aamir Ansari had been previously convicted of rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment but is currently out on bail.