SIT nabs two Romanians, recovers 20 'clone debit cards'

MP | Kolkata: Two Romanians were detained from Delhi in connection with the case of unauthorised withdrawal of money from various bank accounts after skimming debit cards to get the details. 

Officers of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had left for Delhi a couple of days ago, after knowing that the cash was withdrawn from ATMs in Delhi from people who have bank accounts in Kolkata and its adjoining areas. 

The SIT was formed after the Kolkata Police received 76 complaints of unauthorised withdrawal of money from the bank accounts of city dwellers.

On Friday, the police arrested two Romanians from Vasant Vihar in Delhi. The police have seized 20 duplicate debit cards, which are also called clone cards. They have also recovered magnetic strips, which are usually used in debit cards. Police also found masks from them that they used to put on while entering an ATM counter to fit the skimming machine. Their passports have also been seized.

Police sources said that the duo had come to Kolkata in March and they had been staying in the city for around two months, somewhere in Kasba area. 

The police have come to know that they had been carrying out the crime with Delhi as its epicenter, as they used to withdraw money from ATM counters in Delhi after gathering debit card details of the account holders. 

The investigating officers have identified them after going through CCTV footages of the ATM counters where they had entered to fit skimming machines or to withdraw money from someone else's bank account.

The investigating officers have identified that a skimming machine was fitted in an ATM counter at Golpark on April 4 and the members of the racket had entered the ATM counter at least four times between April 4 and 21. 

The police suspect that besides the Romanian nationals, there is also involvement of some Nigerians. The police also suspect involvement of some youths from Delhi in the racket. 

The police are also trying to find out the person who had helped the Romanian nationals with basic support in Kolkata. 

In another incident, unidentified miscreants attempted to take away cash from two ATM counters at Liluah in Howrah. 

Police initiated a probe in this connection and found that the miscreants had damaged the CCTVs installed in the ATM counters. So, the police are trying to get video footages captured in CCTVs installed in the vicinity of the ATM counters.