Kingpin of gang cloning debit, credit cards arrested by Delhi Police, 12 cards seized

Delhi Police Crime Branch busted a syndicate that was cloning debit and credit cards and nabbed the kingpin. Officials also recovered a total of 12 debit/credit cards and a skimmer device (device for cloning the machine).

The Crime Branch had received input about a card cloning gang that was operating in Delhi-NCR as well as in other states which was cheating people of their money by swapping and cloning their debit cards.

The CCTV footage related to these cases was analysed and it was found that the gang basically targeted vulnerable people like persons of old age, less literate or illiterate people who didn’t know how to operate ATM machines.

GANG DISTRACTED VICTIMS TO CLONE CARDS

They also kept a watch on ATMs which didn’t have a guard. After spotting the potential target, the members of the syndicate used to approach the kiosk one by one, crowding and confusing the victim. Then, they either changed the debit/credit card or swiped the same through the skimmers. They withdrew money and distributed it among themselves.

In one of the cases, an elderly person was targeted by the syndicate in an ATM kiosk. The syndicate members distracted the victim and Rs 2.53 lakhs was found to have been withdrawn from his account. An FIR was registered at Janakpuri police station, which was later transferred to the Crime Branch for investigation.

The team analysed the CCTV footage related to the incident and local sources were activated to identify the persons on the CCTV footage.

After identifying the people involved, intelligence was developed about their present whereabouts. Based on this, the team conducted raids in Hissar, Haryana and Delhi’s Sultanpuri and succeeded in arresting two of the syndicate members, identified as 45-year-old Dharambir and Sunil Kumar.

Upon further questioning, the men revealed that a person named Kuldeep was the kingpin of the gang. A team raided possible hideouts but with no success.

ACCUSED USED SAME METHOD PREVIOUSLY

However, information about Kuldeep was received through the ICJS portal (Inter-operable Criminal Justice System), which revealed that Kuldeep was arrested in a case at Sadar Kullu in Himachal Pradesh in a case with the same modus operandi. Based on this, he was arrested and remanded to police custody for five days.

A total of 12 Credit and Debit cards along with a skimmers device used to clone the cards were recovered.

The kingpin, Kuldeep, was involved in nine cases of cheating, burglary and forgery, among others, in different states like Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.