Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Investigators have found the link of a transnational crime gang with the recent ATM scam in Bangladesh, sources said.
They said this crime syndicate having connections with local criminals and bank officials has stolen money of bank customers using cloned debit and credit cards from ATM booths and point of sale (POS) centers in the city.
“An international criminal gang, with expertise in ATM and credit and debit card skimming, was involved in the recent card forgery in Bangladesh. The gang used modern technology that could skim information of card holders in 30 seconds and download it onto a computer so the card could be forged,” an official of Detective Branch (DB) of Police told The New Nation on Friday on condition of anonymity.
According to him, the name of the gang is ‘Brothers’ Circle’ based in Russia. It has extensive operation in Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Poland and in East Europe and Latin American.
“The transnational crime gang continued to develop and adapt modern technology and mostly focused on electronic thievery for skimming and selling information of bank customers to obtain cash withdrawals in various countries in the world,” he added.
Members of the gang also installed card skimming devices onto ATM machines in Dhaka to steal information of local bank customers.
The DB official further said, members of the gang with the help of local operatives imported electronic card forgery machine and then produced fake cards to buy goods at shopping malls and jewellery shops and withdraw cash from ATM booths.
“This transnational crime gang is apparently plaguing in Bangladesh as the authorities allowed easy entry of the foreigners into country,” said the DB official adding, “Members of the crime syndicate are entering the country taking business and tourist visas and committing various crimes here”.
He also said that as the detectives found the link of a transnational crime gang with the recent ATM scam in Bangladesh, the authorities concerned would take the help of Interpol to nab the real culprits who masterminded it.
“We would take help of the global governments to fight against the crime. The issue is very critical as a growing infiltration of such an organised criminal gang here could be a potential threat for the country’s financial systems,” he added.
Earlier, DB police arrested Piotr Szczepan Mazurek alias Thomas, a Polish national, and three officials of City Bank in connection with the recent ATM card forgeries.
Thomas, who is now in police remand along with three bank officials, is one of the members of the Eurasian crime gang ‘Brothers’ Circle.’ Two other members of the gang also came to Bangladesh before the incident of ATM forgery to install skimming devises onto the ATM booths, according to the investigators.
These two are Ukrainian and Rumanian nationals A Andy and Romeo.
Thomas also confessed that this crime syndicate is involved in the international ATM, debit and credit card forgery and it is now trying to establishing its network in Bangladesh.
He (Thomas) also said that this crime group has been established its network nations throughout the globe and is exploiting the interlinked nature of modern banking technology that people used to withdraw cash through ATM booths using debit and credit card across international borders.
Thomas also named Bangladeshi businessmen, bank officials and local crime cartels who helped the gang to steal money through fraudulent transactions at ATM booths and POS centers in the city.
Investigators have found the link of a transnational crime gang with the recent ATM scam in Bangladesh, sources said.
They said this crime syndicate having connections with local criminals and bank officials has stolen money of bank customers using cloned debit and credit cards from ATM booths and point of sale (POS) centers in the city.
“An international criminal gang, with expertise in ATM and credit and debit card skimming, was involved in the recent card forgery in Bangladesh. The gang used modern technology that could skim information of card holders in 30 seconds and download it onto a computer so the card could be forged,” an official of Detective Branch (DB) of Police told The New Nation on Friday on condition of anonymity.
According to him, the name of the gang is ‘Brothers’ Circle’ based in Russia. It has extensive operation in Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Poland and in East Europe and Latin American.
“The transnational crime gang continued to develop and adapt modern technology and mostly focused on electronic thievery for skimming and selling information of bank customers to obtain cash withdrawals in various countries in the world,” he added.
Members of the gang also installed card skimming devices onto ATM machines in Dhaka to steal information of local bank customers.
The DB official further said, members of the gang with the help of local operatives imported electronic card forgery machine and then produced fake cards to buy goods at shopping malls and jewellery shops and withdraw cash from ATM booths.
“This transnational crime gang is apparently plaguing in Bangladesh as the authorities allowed easy entry of the foreigners into country,” said the DB official adding, “Members of the crime syndicate are entering the country taking business and tourist visas and committing various crimes here”.
He also said that as the detectives found the link of a transnational crime gang with the recent ATM scam in Bangladesh, the authorities concerned would take the help of Interpol to nab the real culprits who masterminded it.
“We would take help of the global governments to fight against the crime. The issue is very critical as a growing infiltration of such an organised criminal gang here could be a potential threat for the country’s financial systems,” he added.
Earlier, DB police arrested Piotr Szczepan Mazurek alias Thomas, a Polish national, and three officials of City Bank in connection with the recent ATM card forgeries.
Thomas, who is now in police remand along with three bank officials, is one of the members of the Eurasian crime gang ‘Brothers’ Circle.’ Two other members of the gang also came to Bangladesh before the incident of ATM forgery to install skimming devises onto the ATM booths, according to the investigators.
These two are Ukrainian and Rumanian nationals A Andy and Romeo.
Thomas also confessed that this crime syndicate is involved in the international ATM, debit and credit card forgery and it is now trying to establishing its network in Bangladesh.
He (Thomas) also said that this crime group has been established its network nations throughout the globe and is exploiting the interlinked nature of modern banking technology that people used to withdraw cash through ATM booths using debit and credit card across international borders.
Thomas also named Bangladeshi businessmen, bank officials and local crime cartels who helped the gang to steal money through fraudulent transactions at ATM booths and POS centers in the city.
