A 34-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh has been arrested in Kerala for allegedly using duplicate keys to steal ATM cards and pilfer funds, highlighting a sophisticated theft operation.
A 34-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh was arrested for allegedly carrying out a series of sophisticated thefts by using duplicate keys to open two-wheelers' luggage boxes and steal ATM cards to withdraw money from bank accounts, officials said on Monday.
The accused, identified as Imran Khan, a native of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested by Aluva police.
According to police, the case came to light after a youth from Thrissur district lodged a complaint on March 14.
He had arrived at an exam centre in Aluva on a scooter and kept his purse and mobile phone inside the vehicle's storage compartment before writing the exam.
When he returned in the afternoon, he found the scooter's storage compartment open and his belongings missing.
On contacting the bank to block his cards, he realised that Rs 65,000 had already been withdrawn from his account, police said.
Following the complaint, police formed a special investigation team and tracked down the accused.
Police said the accused used duplicate keys to open the scooter's luggage compartment and steal mobile phones, purses with cash and debit/credit cards.
He would then insert the SIM card from stolen phones into another phone, visit an ATM, change the PINs on the debit cards and withdraw money.
The phone used to insert the SIM was not used to make calls, police said.
The accused is suspected to have committed similar thefts in Aluva, Kollam, Thrissur, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, and is on the wanted list there.
Officials said he did not stay in one place and was constantly on the move.
He was in Bhopal on March 23 and in Coimbatore on March 27.
He was arrested from a lodge near Vyttila Hub on Sunday night while allegedly planning another theft, officials said.
Police recovered around 10 two-wheeler keys, three mobile phones and several wallets from his possession.
The accused was produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.