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- By Vaidika Thapa
- Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:33 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Jagran Correspondent, Jaipur: The Jaipur Police has busted an interstate gang involved in ATM card-swapping, cyber fraud, theft, and robbery across six states, and arrested three of its members. Known as the "Mewat Target Gang", the group had been active for the past two years in Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab.
ATM Cards, Cash Recovered
According to Jagran.com report, police recovered 98 ATM and debit cards, cash, five mobile phones, a car, and fake number plates from the accused. A search is underway to trace other members of the gang. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Prashant Kiran said the arrested accused have been identified as Sakib, the alleged gang leader, along with Tahir Hussain and Andal. All three are residents of Haryana. While Sakib and Andal belong to Palwal, Tahir is a resident of Nuh.
According to the police, the investigation began after Mukesh Meena, a resident of Jhotwara in Jaipur, filed a complaint on May 13. He alleged that two youths inside an ATM booth engaged him in conversation, swapped his UCO Bank ATM card, and later withdrew money from his account. Following the complaint, the Jhotwara police launched an investigation.
Officers analysed technical data, examined footage from more than 700 CCTV cameras, and gathered information through local intelligence sources. On Thursday, police received information that gang members had arrived from Haryana to commit another crime in Jaipur, following which the three accused were arrested.
How They Operated?
During interrogation, the accused revealed that they would target four to five victims in every city before moving to another location. They mainly targetted elderly people, women, and individuals unfamiliar with ATM operations. The gang members would wait outside ATM booths and follow potential targets inside.
Police said Sakib alone has 16 criminal cases registered against him in different police stations across Rajasthan. In 2022, police had recovered 102 ATM cards from his possession. The accused reportedly used conversation and distraction tactics to observe victims entering their PINs. They would then confuse them by pressing options such as "cardless transaction" on the ATM screen and secretly swap their genuine ATM cards with fake ones. In some cases, if victims became suspicious, the accused allegedly snatched the cards and fled.