Kolkata: Kolkata Police is probing the possibility of a connection between the two arrested Romanians and some persons in Nepal.
On the other hand, it has been learnt that a skimming machine was found at a private bank's ATM counter in Kasba.
The Romanians were arrested from Delhi in connection with the unauthorised withdrawal of money from various bank accounts after skimming debit cards.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kolkata Police arrested the Romanians — Opera Obidu Simon and Dumidru Caling — from Delhi in this connection. They were brought to Kolkata and remanded to 14-day police custody after being produced before the Bankshall Court.
Police have initiated interrogating them and their connection with some of their counterparts in Nepal has to came to light post interrogation. They have also come to know that three persons were arrested in Nepal in 2016 on similar charges.
Police are now trying to find out whether Simon and Caling had connections with the three Romanians, who were arrested earlier in Nepal, for carrying out a similar ATM fraud.
The investigating officers have also come to know that the duo arrested in connection with the ATM fraud case in Kolkata used to visit a neighboruing country. Hence, police are trying to figure whether the racket was running from a neighbouring country with Delhi being its centre to carry out operations in different states, including Bengal.
Police have learnt that there was a commission of around 20 percent for skimming debit cards to get details and henceforth withdrawing a hefty amount from various bank accounts. Now, they are trying to get further information about the modus operandi of the duo.
The duo had stayed in a hotel in Kasba in the southern part of Kolkata in April and May. They had travelled by an auto-rickshaw to conduct recce of several places and to identify the ATM counters where they could place a skimming machine at the slot without any hassle.
Police have initiated a search for the auto-rickshaw driver and suspect that some more people have helped the duo to carry out their operation in Kolkata.
Meanwhile, security of the ATM counters, where the skimming machines were fitted, has been beefed up and security guards are maintaining close vigil so that no more such incidents take place.