Sickle-point heist at Chennai ATM: Police nab suspect, recover Rs 8 lakh; victim linked to hawala network
CHENNAI: The Abhiramapuram police arrested Pandiyaraja (24) of Tirunelveli on Tuesday for allegedly robbing a man at knife-point inside an ATM kiosk in Abhiramapuram on Monday.
The police recovered a bag containing Rs 8 lakh along with the sickle and the two-wheeler used in the crime from him. A probe revealed that the suspect already has two previous cases in Koyambedu and Tirunelveli.
According to the police, the robbery happened when the victim Syed Mohamed (31) of Triplicane was depositing Rs 10 lakh, allegedly linked to part of a hawala transaction, to his friends’ accounts at an ATM kiosk on Sringeri Mutt Road. As he was depositing the money, two men wearing helment entered the kiosk, threatened him with a sickle and fled with the remaining Rs 8,09,500.
Based on Syed’s complaint, the Abhiramapuram police registered a case and launched a swift probe. Pandiyaraja was produced before a court on Wednesday and remanded. The police are searching for the other suspect who is still on the run.
“A preliminary inquiry revealed that the money recovered is part of a hawala transaction. We are probing the network to get more leads,” said a source.