Thai police charge 6, including 2 Lankans with fraud

Thailand’s Economic and Cyber Crime Division announced on Wednesday that a gang of six foreigners, four Malaysians and two Sri Lankans, have been arrested and charged with fraudulent use of over 100 ATM cards to withdraw around 10 million Thai baht in cash, the ‘Colombo Gazette’ newspaper reported on Thursday.

Siam Commercial Bank has informed the police that the bank has been requested to investigate theft of ATM card users’ information and fraudulent use of electronic cards to withdraw cash in Thailand, Police Division Chief Maj. Gen. Phisit Pao-in told the ‘Bangkok Post’ newspaper.

The cards were used in Bangkok’s Pratunam area and police patrolling the area found S. Saseelan (43) withdrawing cash at an ATM.

When he was searched, police found 10 fake ATM cards in his possession. Five other suspects were caught while searching his apartment.

The gang members identified are Sutharsan Nadarajah (34) from Sri Lanka, and four Malaysians, Dasikumar Anthonisamy (32), Eswaran Kumaran (20), Jothi Shanka S. Thiagu (19) and Pravin M. Dorasamy (19).

162 electronic cards and 18,000 Thai baht in cash were seized by the police.

The suspects confessed they had obtained blank electronic cards from Malaysia, which were then encoded with information, obtained by using skimmers of cards of people from countries such as Canada, Britain and Germany, Maj Gen Phisit said.

Up to 60,000 baht was withdrawn each time from ATMs in Bangkok’s Pratunam and Sukhumvit areas, and the money was handed over to an Indian, known only as Ashok, for which they were paid a commission of 10 per cent.

The suspects said  they had withdrawn a total of about 10 million baht over a month. Police identified the two Sri Lankans as former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who fled to Thailand.

While Ashok is still at large, Thai police have charged the six suspects with illegal access to a computer system, holding and using fake electronic cards and illegal entry into the country.

 

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.