28-06-2025
Three arrested for ATM break-in attempts to pay off Rs 15 lakh online gaming debt: Vadodara DCB
The Vadodara Detection of Crime Branch arrested three men on Saturday for allegedly attempting to break into ATMs, using gas cutters, to steal money and pay off a loan of approximately Rs 15 lakh accumulated due to online gaming addiction, police said.
The accused, identified as Sarfaraz Yasin Hussain Saiyed (28), Soham Kalidas Mali (29) and Manish Solanki (29) were arrested from Kishanwadi area, after the police cordoned off a 'suspicious vehicle', based on a tip off.
During checking, the police said, the gang was found in possession of an oxygen cylinder, gas cutter pipes among other equipment needed to break into ATM machines — suspected to be stolen from a welding shop in the city.
A statement from the Vadodara DCB on Saturday said that investigation has revealed that one of the accused Hussain, a Class-10 pass out, has to pay a debt of Rs 15 lakh 'due to losses made in an online aviation game'.
To pay off the multiple debts, Hussain and his two accomplices allegedly 'hatched a plan to commit thefts in ATMs' in the city, said the statement.
The crime branch had been in pursuit of the three men after an FIR was lodged on June 21 in Nandesari police station in connection with the case of an attempted break-in of an ATM on the Sankarda-Bhadarva road.
The DCB statement said, 'The accused had committed a theft in a gas welding shop near Kapurai junction on June 20 and attempted to break into the India-One ATM on June 21 after confirming that it was an unguarded booth. However, they were unsuccessful'.
'The accused had also disabled the CCTV of the ATM before attempting to break in… Thereafter, on June 24, they attempted to break into the India-One ATM on Manjusar GIDC main road in a similar manner but were unsuccessful. Before they could target the third ATM, they were nabbed by the Crime Branch,' said the statement. The DCB has handed over the three accused to Kapurai police station.
