ATM fraud racket busted in Siliguri

Siliguri: In a major crackdown on suspected financial fraud, Siliguri Police arrested four individuals from a hotel in the city on suspicion of running an ATM fraud racket. More than 10 ATM cards and Rs 84,500 in cash were recovered from their possession.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Rizwan Alam, Azad Alam, Md. Imran Akhtar and Sher Md., all residents of the Champaran district in Bihar.

According to police sources, the arrests were made on Tuesday night following a tip-off from hotel authorities near the Hill Cart Road. The four men had reportedly been staying at the hotel since Monday. However, their behaviour raised suspicion as they rarely stepped out of their room and maintained little to no contact with others.

Acting on the information, a joint team led by the Officer-in-Charge of Siliguri Police Station, along with the Special Operations Group and personnel from Khalpara Outpost, conducted a raid at the hotel. During the search,

officers recovered multiple ATM cards and the cash from their room.

Police suspect that the accused were involved in ATM fraud or other forms of financial crimes. Investigators are also probing whether the group was planning a larger criminal operation in the city.

The four accused were produced before the Siliguri court on Wednesday. Police have initiated further interrogation to uncover the full extent of the racket and identify other individuals who may be involved.