The Delhi Police have arrested an alleged member of the notorious Imran Mewati ATM uprooting gang for his alleged involvement in the theft of over Rs 19 lakh from a private bank ATM in East Delhi's Mandawali earlier this year.

The accused, identified as Sazid, alias Bhura (26), a resident of Haryana's Nuh district, had been absconding since the April 29 incident, in which an ATM in West Vinod Nagar was allegedly cut open using a gas cutter and Rs 19.32 lakh was stolen.

The police said a case was registered at the Mandawali police station, and a Delhi court had subsequently issued non-bailable warrants against Sazid after he failed to appear during the investigation.

Acting on specific intelligence, a police team laid a trap near Tauru Bypass Road in Nuh and apprehended the accused after he allegedly tried to escape on noticing the police.

During interrogation, Sazid allegedly confessed to his role in the ATM theft and told investigators that he had joined the Imran Mewati gang after coming into contact with its alleged kingpin, Imran, while lodged in Alwar jail in Rajasthan.

The police further revealed that Sazid has a previous criminal case registered against him at the Neemrana police station in Rajasthan in 2021. In that case, he and his associates allegedly used a gas cutter to break open an ATM and decamped with Rs 12.70 lakh.

The alleged gang leader, Imran, continues to evade arrest and is wanted in multiple cases across several states. The police said efforts were underway to trace and arrest the remaining members of the gang.