Rajkot ATM theft gang held: 3 UP men trapped cash with aluminium strips
Synopsis
Three men from Uttar Pradesh ran a low-tech but sophisticated ATM scam across Gujarat and Mumbai — inserting aluminium strips to trap dispensed cash, then returning to pocket it after customers left convinced their withdrawal had failed. The Rajkot Crime Branch cracked the case using CCTV and intelligence inputs, linking the trio to incidents from Surat to eastern Mumbai.
Key Takeaways
Rajkot City Crime Branch arrested three men from Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh on 11 October 2026 for alleged ATM cash theft.
The accused — Afsarahmad Riyazat Ali (23) , Arbaz Faiyaz Ahmad (27) , and Sahidkhan Mohammad Salim (26) — allegedly used aluminium strips to trap dispensed cash inside ATM machines.
Seized property totalled ₹4,45,200 , including ₹1,12,200 in cash, a car worth ₹3 lakh , and four aluminium strips.
The gang reportedly targeted SBI and Bank of Baroda ATMs across Surat, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Rajkot , and eastern Mumbai .
Three FIRs — across Bhaktinagar , Malaviyanagar (Rajkot), and Mehsana — were detected following the arrests.
All three accused have prior criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh under the IPC , Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita , and the UP Gangsters Act .
The Rajkot City Crime Branch has arrested three men from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly stealing cash from ATMs across Gujarat and Mumbai by fitting aluminium strips inside cash dispenser boxes — a method that trapped currency during withdrawals and allowed the accused to collect it after unsuspecting customers walked away, police said on Sunday, 11 October 2026.
Who Was Arrested
The three accused were identified as Afsarahmad Riyazat Ali, 23, Arbaz Faiyaz Ahmad, 27, and Sahidkhan Mohammad Salim, 26, all residents of Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh. Police intercepted them from a lane behind Kanta Vikas Gruh in the Pujara Plot area of Rajkot before they could allegedly tamper with another ATM.
How the Scam Worked
According to police, the accused would first conduct reconnaissance of their target ATM, then fit an aluminium strip inside the cash dispenser box before leaving the premises. When a customer initiated a withdrawal, the transaction was processed successfully by the bank — but the dispensed cash remained physically trapped behind the strip. 'After the customer left, believing the withdrawal had failed, the accused would return, remove the strip and take the trapped cash,' police said. The gang reportedly targeted State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda ATMs, particularly on bank holidays or during periods when bank staff were unavailable.
Property Seized and Cases Detected
The Crime Branch seized ₹1,12,200 in cash, three mobile phones valued at ₹33,000, a car worth ₹3 lakh, four aluminium strips, a fibre ring blender file, and a Bank of Baroda ATM card. The total estimated value of seized property stood at ₹4,45,200. The arrests helped detect three cases — one registered at Bhaktinagar police station, another at Malaviyanagar police station in Rajkot, and a third at A Division police station in Mehsana.
Locations Targeted Across Gujarat and Mumbai
According to officials, the accused admitted to allegedly targeting ATMs across multiple locations. Reported incidents included withdrawals from ATMs in Surat's Sachin GIDC, the zoo area, Un and Adajan Patiya; Ahmedabad's Narol and Sarkhej areas; Chhatral and the Ring Road bypass; an ATM near Mehsana railway station; an SBI ATM near Trikon Baug in Rajkot; and locations in eastern Mumbai. Amounts allegedly taken ranged from ₹7,000 in one incident in Surat to between ₹90,000 and ₹1 lakh across several Ahmedabad-area ATMs.
Prior Criminal History
Officials noted that all three accused have prior criminal cases registered against them in Uttar Pradesh, covering allegations of theft, robbery, receiving stolen property, and other offences under the Indian Penal Code, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. The arrests followed an investigation combining CCTV footage, technical surveillance, and human intelligence. As inquiries continue, police are expected to examine whether additional ATM tampering incidents across the two states can be linked to the trio.
Point of View
Low-tech exploit that banks and ATM vendors have repeatedly failed to harden against, despite its being a known fraud vector across South Asia. The fact that three men with existing criminal records under the UP Gangsters Act could operate across multiple states — from Surat to Mumbai — for an extended period before being caught points to a gap in coordinated inter-state banking fraud surveillance. Every stolen amount here was small enough to fall below automatic alert thresholds, which appears deliberate. Until banks enforce physical anti-tamper checks on cash dispenser modules and link transaction-outcome mismatches to real-time alerts, this fraud will recur regardless of how many arrests are made.
NationPress
12 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Rajkot ATM theft gang trap cash inside machines?
The accused allegedly inserted aluminium strips inside the cash dispenser boxes of ATMs. When a customer completed a withdrawal, the cash was dispensed by the machine but remained physically blocked by the strip, leaving the customer to assume the transaction had failed. The gang would then return, remove the strip, and collect the trapped money.
Who are the three men arrested by the Rajkot Crime Branch?
The three arrested are Afsarahmad Riyazat Ali (23), Arbaz Faiyaz Ahmad (27), and Sahidkhan Mohammad Salim (26), all residents of Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh. All three reportedly have prior criminal cases registered against them in UP.
Which ATMs and locations were targeted by the gang?
According to police, the accused allegedly targeted SBI and Bank of Baroda ATMs across Surat, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Rajkot, and eastern Mumbai. Specific locations included Sachin GIDC and Adajan Patiya in Surat, Narol and Sarkhej in Ahmedabad, and an ATM near Mehsana railway station.
What property was seized from the accused?
The Crime Branch seized ₹1,12,200 in cash, three mobile phones worth ₹33,000, a car valued at ₹3 lakh, four aluminium strips, a fibre ring blender file, and a Bank of Baroda ATM card. The total seized property was estimated at ₹4,45,200.
How many cases were detected following the arrests?
Three cases were detected — one at Bhaktinagar police station, one at Malaviyanagar police station in Rajkot, and a third at A Division police station in Mehsana. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether further ATM tampering incidents can be linked to the trio.
