In a dramatic turn of events, the Koyilandy police on Monday arrested three individuals, including the complainant, in connection with an ATM robbery that was staged on 19 October 2024. The arrested, identified as Suhail Sulaiman (24) of Payyoli, Mohammed Thaha (27) of Kadaloor, and Mohammed Yasar (20) of Thikkodi, orchestrated the heist, in which ₹62 lakh, meant for replenishing ATMs, was stolen.
The case initially came to light when Suhail, an employee of India One ATM, lodged a complaint alleging that he was attacked by two masked men while transporting cash to an ATM in Kurudimukku near Koyilandy. According to Suhail’s original statement, the assailants ambushed him during the cash transfer, threw chilli powder into his eyes, tied him up, and stole ₹25 lakh from the vehicle before leaving him unconscious in the Kattil Peedika area.
However, inconsistencies in Suhail’s account raised suspicions, prompting the police to investigate further. Led by Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) P. Nidhin Raj, a special team was formed to dig deeper into the case. Upon further interrogation, Suhail confessed to fabricating the robbery with the help of his two accomplices, Thaha and Yasar.
Suhail and his accomplices had been entrusted with ₹72.40 lakh on the day of the staged robbery, which they were transporting in a car from Koyilandy to Arikkulam to refill an ATM. The vehicle, registered as KL 56 DW 3723, was being driven by Suhail when the fake robbery took place. According to the police, the trio staged an elaborate plan where one of the accomplices pretended to ambush the car, causing Suhail to stop. They then restrained Suhail, tied him up, and covered his body with chilli powder to make the incident appear as a legitimate attack.
The special investigation team discovered that Suhail had orchestrated the entire plot as a means to steal the money he was transporting. In the investigation, it was revealed that one of the co-conspirators, Mohammed Thaha, worked in a mosque. The police recovered around ₹37 lakh from the mosque in Villiyapally where Thaha was employed. This sum was part of the stolen ₹72.4 lakh that Suhail and his accomplices had taken during the staged robbery. Additionally, another ₹5.3 lakh was recovered, which had been given to another person involved in the scheme. In total, the police managed to recover ₹42.5 lakh from the suspects during the evidence-gathering process.
Did any news channel, other than Janam TV, report that the money from the Koyilandy ATM robbery was recovered from the Villiyappally mosque?
No… They won’t…!!
Why isn’t it being reported?
Because this is Al Kerala!!The mastermind of the robbery, Thaha Azhari, is the… pic.twitter.com/O0NF1003li
— Pratheesh Viswanath (@pratheesh_Hind) October 21, 2024
Suhail, who had initially claimed that ₹25 lakh had been stolen, was found to have been complicit in planning the theft of the full ₹62 lakh. During the investigation, Suhail admitted to his involvement and revealed the identities of his co-conspirators. The suspects were taken to various locations as part of the evidence collection process before being remanded to judicial custody.
The police have intensified their search for other individuals who may have been part of the criminal conspiracy. The swift resolution of the case has been attributed to a detailed scientific investigation that exposed the inconsistencies in Suhail’s story and led to the unraveling of the premeditated crime. The case remains under active investigation as law enforcement continues to search for additional suspects connected to the conspiracy.
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