The Aluva East police on Monday arrested an Uttar Pradesh native for carrying out a series of thefts by using duplicate keys to open the storage compartments in two-wheelers and steal ATM cards to withdraw money. The accused, Imran Khan, is a native of Aligarh.

The incident came to light after a youth from Thrissur district lodged a complaint on March 14. He had parked his scooter at an exam centre in Aluva and kept his purse and mobile phone inside the vehicle's storage compartment before writing the exam.

When he returned, he found the compartment open and his belongings missing. When he contacted the bank to block his cards, he realised that ₹65,000 had already been withdrawn from his account. Following the complaint, police formed a special investigation team and tracked down the accused.

According to police, the accused used duplicate keys to open scooter storage compartments and steal mobile phones, purses, cash and debit or credit cards. He would then insert SIM cards from stolen phones into another device, visit ATMs, change the PINs and withdraw money. Police said the phone used to insert the SIM cards was not used for making calls.

The accused is suspected to have committed similar thefts in Aluva, Kollam, Thrissur, as well as in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, and is reportedly wanted in those places. Officials said he was constantly on the move and did not stay in one location. He was in Bhopal on March 23 and in Coimbatore on March 27.

He was arrested from a lodge near Vyttila Mobility Hub on Sunday night while planning another theft. Police recovered around 10 vehicle keys, three mobile phones and several wallets from his possession. The accused was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.