Kochi: A 40-year-old Uttar Pradesh man who robbed money from 11 ATMs in the city was nabbed on Friday.
The police arrested the man, identified as Mubarak Ali Ansari, while he was preparing to rob another ATM in Edapally.
He was nabbed on the basis of CCTV footage acquired from the ATMs he had hit.
The visuals show the man blocking the machine's cash dispenser before unsuspecting depositors enter the ATM cubicle.
When the customer leaves without the money, Mubarak goes in, removes the device that prevented the cash flow and takes away their money.
All the ATMs he had hit belonged to the South Indian Bank. Less than Rs 1 lakh has been reported stolen, the bank officials informed.
Rs 25,000 has been stolen from the bank's ATM in Kalamassery branch alone. The spree began on August 18 and he hit ATMs more than once.
Kalamassery police registered a case after the branch's assistant manager filed a complaint on Thursday.
The police said the accused learnt the basics of stealing money from the ATM while he was working as a driver in Mumbai in 2018.
He was jailed in Mumbai after being caught once, they said.
Meanwhile, the bank is yet to release information on how people who've lost the money would be reimbursed.
How did he rob the money?
Describing his mode of operation, police said the robber would put a piece of measuring scale or hard paper at the dispenser to prevent the cash from coming out.
Police said the fact that he targeted only the South Indian Bank ATM shows that he exploited the fault in the design of the machines.
After keying in the desired amount to withdraw, customers could hear the ATM counting the cash. But money won't come out of the dispenser.
They would even receive the mobile intimation that money has been debited from their account.
The thief would enter the kiosk once customers leave the place. He would remove the piece of scale and collect the cash.
Police said he would then wait for his next victim.
Affected customers refunded: Bank
The South India Bank has informed that the customers who were affected by the robbery have been duly attended to.
"Additionally, the Bank has proactively identified such incidents and without waiting for the customer complaints, refunded the amounts involved. The Bank is committed in extending best possible co-operation to the Police in their investigation," said Steve Stephen Varghese, senior manager, marketing department, South Indian Bank.