Photo by HUDSON POLICE Syed Hoque, 23, of Brooklyn NY

HUDSON – Police late Saturday night arrested a New York man, who they say had drawn suspicion by allegedly spending an inordinate amount of time at a drive-up ATM at a Lowell Road credit union.

In a bit of a twist of the typical order of events surrounding an arrest, police said Officer Rob McNally, after speaking with the suspect, Syed Hoque, 23, seized Hoque’s vehicle but released Hoque – with information on how to contact McNally.

Police said McNally, upon approaching Hoque at the ATM, “was able to see a large amount of money stacked on the passenger seat, and a large number of gift cards sitting on the console.”

After speaking with Hoque, police said McNally “developed enough probable cause” to believe Hoque was “involved in illegal activity.”

Police therefore transported Hoque’s vehicle to police headquarters, and secured a warrant to search it – and allegedly found more than $9,000 in cash and “numerous gift cards containing bank account information,” police said.

In the meantime, McNally received a call from Hoque, who allegedly told McNally “he wanted to cooperate,” and wished to speak with McNally “in regards to the ongoing investigation,” police said.

McNally met Hoque in the area of Haffner’s service station on Lowell Road and transported him back to police headquarters, police said.

Haffner’s is about a half mile north of Digital Federal Credit Union, 257 Lowell Road, the location of the ATM at which Hoque was allegedly acting suspiciously.

In an interview at police headquarters, police said Hoque “made admissions … to his involvement in using stolen account information,” which Hoque allegedly said he “saved into gift cards, then used those cards to withdraw money” from the ATM.

He also allegedly told police his actions “were in conjunction with a theft ring,” police said.

Hoque was subsequently taken into custody, charged with one count of receiving stolen property – value in excess of $1,500, a Class A felony.

Hoque refused the services of a bail commissioner, and was therefore held at Valley Street jail in Manchester pending arraignment, which is scheduled for this morning in Nashua district court.

Police said the investigation is ongoing, and that they have been in contact with authorities who may be investigating similar cases in their jurisdiction.