New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) Two men, part of a gang allegedly responsible for stealing an ATM and mobile phone theft worth Rs 1.8 crore in February and March, were arrested from southeast Delhi, police said on Thursday.

Farman and his close associate, Asif, were arrested following a multi-jurisdictional operation spanning Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, they said.

Farman, the gang leader, is a repeat offender with a criminal history dating back to 2004. He used to run a scrap business in Kondli before forming a gang with Asif and others, they said.

He has been linked to at least 25 cases, including those of murder, attempted murder, burglary, and arms violations across Delhi, UP, Rajasthan, and Haryana. He received a gunshot in an encounter with UP Police in 2018.

Asif, an ex-cab driver, was inducted into the gang by Farman in 2014. He was found to have been involved in five criminal cases, including those of murder and burglary, in Delhi and UP.

A police officer said the arrests were made following an investigation into an ATM theft in south Delhi’s Govindpuri area, a case in which matter was filed on March 27.

“… CCTV footage from the scene revealed two suspects, and investigators used technical surveillance and local intelligence to track them down,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Ravi Kumar Singh said.

The stolen ATM machine, a car, also stolen, black polythene sheets used to conceal the ATM, and tools used in the heist were recovered from their possession after the arrest.

During interrogation, the two confessed to a series of crimes, including mobile showroom break-ins in Chhawla, Ghazipur, and Faridabad in February and March, during which they stole phones worth Rs 1.8 crore.

They also admitted to a burglary in a Ghazipur cloth showroom and an attempted ATM theft in Dwarka.

Another suspect, Raja, and the person who received the stolen phones are being looked for, police said. PTI SSJ SSJ VN VN VN