Members of notorious gang nabbed by police in Kochi; 'Mewat Gang' targeted widespread ATM robbery

KOCHI: A gang known as the "Mewat Gang," notorious for stealing ATM machines using a container lorry, has been caught in Kochi. The lorry, along with a gas cutter and cylinder found inside it, has been taken into custody by the Panangad Police.

Three individuals from Haryana and Rajasthan have been arrested. One of them briefly escaped by breaking out through a police station toilet window but was found within five hours. The Mewat Gang is infamous in Haryana for ATM thefts. Police suspect their involvement in an ATM heist in Thrissur last year. The trio will be produced before the court today.

The arrested are Saddam (38) from Mewat, Haryana; Najeer Ahmed (33) from Nuh, Haryana; and Saikul (32) from Bharatpur, Rajasthan. It was Saikul who escaped through the toilet window. He is also wanted in connection with ten vehicle theft cases in Delhi.

Tamil Nadu Police had sent an alert around midnight on Monday stating that a gang had stolen a Ford EcoSport car from Krishnagiri, loaded it onto a container lorry, and entered Kerala with the intention of committing thefts. Following this, the entire city was placed under police surveillance.

During this time, a container lorry with Rajasthan registration parked near the national highway in Nettoor caught the attention of a patrolling unit. The suspects were found sleeping inside. Though they initially claimed to have come to unload goods in Nettoor, they were taken into custody by Panangad Police.

Later, under the pretext of using the toilet, Saikul entered the restroom and escaped by breaking open the window. A team led by Maradu Sub-Inspector Sudheer later located him in a nearby deserted marsh area close to the Panangad Police Station. He was overpowered using force. The container was filled with high-end air conditioners from a reputed company. Upon unloading, the gas cutter and cylinder used for ATM thefts were discovered. The gang had reportedly travelled from Delhi.