Bengaluru police bust gang of six stealing money from ATMs, recover ₹51 lakh cash

Mahalakshmi Layout Police arrest six individuals for stealing money from ATM kiosks, recovering ₹43.76 Lakh in cash and valuables worth ₹90 lakh.

Mahalakshmi Layoutm Police received a tip-off on January 25, 2025, that a group of people were fighting with each other at a tea stall on sharing money. The police rushed to the spot and rounded-up the six people. They also recovered a car and ₹43.76 Lakh in cash from them. 

During their sustained interrogation, they allegedly confessed to having been stealing money from ATM kiosks and that they were fighting with each other about sharing the spoils. 

The arrested have been identified as Sameer (26), working as a cash officer, Monohar (29), Girish (26) and Jaggesh (28), working as a cash loaders, goods vehicle driver Shivu — all residents of Nandini Layout — and Jaswanth (27), an ATM technician and a resident of Laggere. 

All six accused were working with firms that were either tasked with refilling cash in ATM kiosks or repairing ATM machines. Police said while refilling ATMs, they would swindle the money by filling the machines with less amount than what was on the record. Those who were tasked with repairing ATMs, meanwhile, would access the passwords of these machines, open them and steal money, police said. However, the swindling of money had been happening for several months and had not come to the notice of the banks, police sources said. 

The police took them into custody and based on the information revealed by them during custodial interrogation, police recovered an additional ₹8 lakh from the home of Jaswanth in Chowdeshwari Nagar, Laggere, as well as two high-end cars that two other accused had bought with their share of the stolen money. The total worth of the valuables recovered amounts to ₹90 lakh.