A beat constable patrolling nearby was alerted by the helpline and reached the ATM while the man was still inside (AI image used for representation only).
When Carivan Ayon Mariyan walked into an ATM near a railway station in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, he was unlikely to have noticed the two men chatting nearby. Mariyan, however, had already aroused their suspicions. He was wearing a cap on his head and a mask on his face, and he had visited the same ATM the previous day dressed in the same manner. That was enough for the friends to alert the police—and before Mariyan knew it, the two men had led to his arrest.
The incident took place on November 11, 2018. Two men catching up at their usual spot near Vikhroli railway station noticed a man entering an ATM. They realised that the same man, a foreign national, seemed to have visited the same ATM a day ago, covering his face and head.
People are required to remove their helmets and masks in ATMs, but the man continued to operate the machine without removing his cap or mask. Suspecting something amiss, the two immediately called the police helpline, informing them of their concerns.
A beat constable patrolling nearby was alerted by the helpline and reached the ATM while the man was still inside. The friends’ suspicions proved correct when the man panicked on seeing the policeman and attempted to run. The constable caught the man, and a subsequent search found 53 cloned debit cards and Rs 3.71 lakh in his possession.
The man was identified as Carivan Ayon Mariyan, a 50-year-old Romanian national. Between 2016-2018, the Mumbai police had caught a few other Romanian nationals, allegedly operating with the modus operandi of targeting unguarded ATM kiosks. Mariyan would allegedly install a skimming device on the ATMs, which would lead to the theft of bank details, including passwords, of those who used the machines. Then, the cloned debit cards would be used to withdraw money.
According to the police, Mariyan had four cases filed against him in Uttar Pradesh for similar crimes, where debit and credit cards were cloned to withdraw money. During the trial, the footage from the CCTV cameras inside the ATM was not produced, but the court relied on the testimony of the two eyewitnesses who had helped nab the accused. The court said that Mariyan had also not been able to explain why he possessed so many debit cards of Indian citizens.
“Accused No 1 (Mariyan) is a Romanian citizen, more than 48 debit and credit cards of Indian citizens were found in his possession. There is no material brought by him that he had an authority to use those cards for withdrawal of amount, nor is it his defence that he withdrew the amount for the benefit of those account holders,” the court said.
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Mariyan was found guilty in 2020 under sections including cheating and forgery of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act. He was sentenced to seven years in jail by a magistrate court in Mumbai.
Sadaf Modak is a distinguished Legal Correspondent based in Mumbai whose work demonstrates exceptional Expertise and Authority in covering the intricacies of the judicial and correctional systems. Reporting for The Indian Express, she is a highly Trustworthy source for in-depth coverage of courtroom proceedings and human rights issues.
Expertise
Specialized Role: As a dedicated Legal Correspondent, Sadaf Modak possesses deep, specialized knowledge of legal procedures, statutes, and judicial operations, lending immense Authority to her reports.
Core Authority & Focus: Her work primarily centers on:
Trial Court Proceedings: She mainly covers the trial courts of Mumbai, providing crucial, on-the-ground reporting on the day-to-day legal processes that affect citizens. She maintains a keen eye on both major criminal cases and the "ordinary and not so ordinary events" that reveal the human element within the justice system.
Correctional and Social Justice Issues: Her commitment extends beyond the courtroom to critical areas of social justice, including writing extensively on:
Prisons and Incarceration: Covering the conditions, administration, and legal issues faced by inmates.
Juvenile Justice: Reporting on the complexities of the juvenile justice system and the legal rights of children.
Human Rights: Focusing on fundamental human rights within the context of law enforcement and state institutions.
Experience
Institutional Affiliation: Reporting for The Indian Express—a leading national newspaper—ensures her coverage is subject to high editorial standards of accuracy, impartiality, and legal rigor.
Impactful Detail: Her focus on trial courts provides readers with direct, detailed insights into the workings of the justice system, making complex legal narratives accessible and establishing her as a reliable and trusted chronicler of the legal landscape.
Sadaf Modak's blend of judicial focus and commitment to human rights issues establishes her as a vital and authoritative voice in Indian legal journalism.
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