Muzaffarpur, Nov. 10: Seven persons of Nepalese origin were arrested last night with 116 debit cards and Rs 5.55 lakh that they had illegally withdrawn from ATM kiosks in the town.

Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajesh Kumar today said he had intercepted the seven while they were coming out of an ATM kiosk.

During interrogation, Kumar said, they hinted at the presence of a syndicate of some Nepalese people, who are withdrawing Indian currency from ATM kiosks by using debits cards of banks such as Bank of Asia, Everest Bank, Jyoti Vikas Bank, Siddhartha Bank, Citizen Bank and Saniya Vikas Bank situated in Nepal.

The SSP said on the basis of certain understandings between the banks in Nepal and some banks in India, people from across the border can use their debit cards in Indian territory. The police found that the cards were issued in the names of other persons, also of Nepali origin.

All the seven persons were today produced in the district court, which forwarded them to Khudi Ram Bose Central Jail in the town.

Deputy inspector-general of police (Tirhut range) Bacchu Singh Meena said he has asked the SSPs and SPs of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Sitamarhi and Sheohar districts to keep a tab on transactions through ATMs.