Romanian duo who robbed ATMs with cloned cards held

New Delhi: Two Romanian nationals who robbed several unmanned ATMs in the Capital were arrested from south Delhi on Wednesday, Delhi Police said on Friday.

Police said that the modus operandi of the accused, identified Iulian Dumbrava (29) and Cornel Traian Mirea (33), comprised of withdrawing money from ATMs with cloned plastic debit cards.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Romil Baaniya said that 48 cloned plastic cards, cash in various currencies worth Rs 9.05 lakh, £2,760, €5,000 and US $10,000, and other electronic gazettes were recovered from both of the accused.

"In view of receipt of some complaints of unauthorised withdrawals from ATMs in South district, the team of District Cyber Cell, South District, started analysis of the complaints. which revealed that most unauthorised withdrawals had taken place from ATMs located at isolated locations and at odd hours," said the DCP.

Accordingly, CCTV footages from the targetted ATMs were obtained and analysed, and the police team mounted surveillance on one of these ATMs in south Delhi.

During investigation, the team – led by Inspector Ajit Kumar – spotted a suspicious person wearing a helmet who was trying to withdraw money from the Yes Bank ATM of MB Road in Saidulazab.

"The police team rushed inside the ATM and overpowered the man, whose name was later revealed to be Iulian Dumbrava, a Romanian national who was in possession of 14 cloned plastic cards on which PIN were mentioned. Rs 47,200 in cash was recovered from his carry bag," said a senior police officer.

The official added that based on his revelations, Mirea, another Romanian national and the co-accused, was apprehended from some distance at IGNOU Road. He was in possession of 34 cloned plastic cards and Rs. 138,300 was recovered from his black bag pack.

During interrogation, the accused persons revelaed that they would visit India through Nepal and procure cloned plastic cards and ATM PINs from their Romanian associates.

The duo would then rent rooms in hotels and in guest houses in the Capital.

Thereafter, they would identify unmanned ATM booths in Delhi, hide their faces with masks, helmets, caps, goggles and withdraw money illegaly with cloned plastic cards.

The duo would convert small amounts of the stolen cash in India and large amounts in Nepal, where security is lax.

New Delhi: Investigators on Friday said that the Romanian nationals used the money robbed from unmanned ATMs to pay for their holiday trips and to purchase data of cloned cards in the grey market.

Sources told Millennium Post that the accused even tried to mislead investigators during questioning.

"We came to know that the accused used to conduct recce of unmanned ATMs in the morning and target them at night," said a source, adding that cops had been chasing the duo for the last one month.

"With the help of a 'skimmer', the accused took the details of cards. They would put the skimmer in an ATM machine and after a card had been swiped, its details would be collected in the skimmer in about half an hour, which the accused took out and sold in the grey market for money," said the police official.Abhay Singh