Seven arrested for major ATM theft in Hyderabad

Police have arrested seven people involved in the theft of nearly ₹30 lakh from a State Bank of India ATM in Ravirala. The heist occurred in the early hours of March 2, 2025. The gang, which included construction equipment operators and mechanics from Rajasthan and Haryana, used gas cutters to break open the ATM. The arrested individuals are aged between 18 and 28 years and include Rahul Khan, Musthakeem Khan, and Sharukh Basir Khan. Four more suspects are still on the run. The theft was discovered by Korra Sreevani, a deputy manager at the SBI branch, who found that the ATM’s CCTV cameras had been disabled and cash was missing. A special task force investigated the case by using technical surveillance and crime records. The police made a breakthrough when they spotted the gang's vehicle on CCTV entering Hyderabad on March 24. They arrested the suspects on March 25 as they were planning another robbery in Kongara Kalan. During the arrest, police recovered ₹4 lakh in cash, a car, gas cutters, an oxygen cylinder, and other tools, totaling around ₹9.5 lakh in seized property. The gang learned how to break into ATMs by watching YouTube videos and had carefully planned their crimes. They even altered their vehicle's identity to avoid detection. Before the robbery, gang members purchased tools from a shop in Patancheru and arrived in Hyderabad from Delhi. They disabled the ATM's cameras with black paint and used a gas cutter to access the cash. After stealing the money, they attempted another theft nearby but fled due to a fire alarm. Rahul Khan and Musthakeem Khan have previous arrests for similar crimes but resumed their activities after being released. Efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining suspects.