Udupi
The Ajjekar police in Udupi district have arrested three individuals linked to a series of ATM card swapping incidents, recovering 52 ATM cards from them. Superintendent of Police K Arun identified the suspects as Shravan Satish Minajagi (27) and Pradeep Maruti Ingle (27), both from Solapur, Maharashtra, and Kiran Balu Chauhan (28) from Pune, Maharashtra.
The arrests occurred near the police check post in Kaduhole, Marne village. Authorities seized a car valued at Rs 4 lakh, Rs 70,000 in cash, three mobile phones, and the 52 ATM cards, bringing the total value of the recovered items to Rs 4.85 lakh.
The investigation began after a complaint from Henry D’Souza, a Bondukumeri resident. On September 16, D’Souza reported that while attempting to withdraw money at an ATM in Ajekar market, he was distracted by unknown individuals who swapped his ATM card. Later, Rs 1 lakh was withdrawn using his card at an ATM in Karkala.
A police team led by Sub Inspector BK Ravi tracked the suspects down. Initial findings indicated that the group, consisting of four inter-state thieves, had been involved in over 70 similar ATM fraud cases. They typically distracted users to swap cards and withdraw large amounts. The suspects have prior jail time for similar offenses, and further investigations are ongoing.
