Two former LTTE cadres among six arrested in Bangkok for ATM fraud

Thursday, 4 April 2013 01:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A gang of foreigners, four Malaysians and two Sri Lankans, have been arrested and charged with the fraudulent use of over 100 ATM cards to withdraw around 10 million baht cash in Thailand, the Economic and Cyber Crime Division announced on Wednesday.

The suspects had been withdrawing the money for over a month, with the total combined value amounting to approximately 10 million baht.

Police said the two Sri Lankan suspects are former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who fled to Thailand. They were investigating whether terrorism funding was involved or not. The six suspects have been charged with illegal access to a computer system, holding and using fake electronic cards and illegal entry to Thailand. Asok is still at large.

Division Chief Pol. Maj. Gen. Phisit Pao-in said the Police were informed by Siam Commercial Bank that the bank had been requested to investigate theft of users’ information and fraudulent use of electronic cards to withdraw cash in Thailand.

The investigators found out that the cards were used in the Pratunam area. Police sent to patrol the area discovered S. Saseelan, 43, withdrawing cash at an ATM. They asked to search him and found 10 fake ATM cards. The Police searched his accommodation and later apprehend the five other suspects.

The other gang members are: Suthsarsan Nadarajah, 34, from Sri Lanka, and four Malaysians, Dasikumar Anthonisamy, 32, Eswaran Kumaran, 20, Jothi Shanhar S. Thiagu, 19 and Pravin M. Dorasamy, 19.

The Police said they seized a total of 162 electronic cards and 18,000 baht cash.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Phisit said the suspects confessed that they obtained blank electronic cards in Malaysia. The blanks were then encoded with information, obtained by using skimmers, off cards of people from countries such as Canada, the UK and Germany.

They would go separately to withdraw up to 60,000 baht each time from ATMs in Pratunam and Sukhumvit areas, and later hand the money over to an Indian they knew only as Asok. They were paid 10% of the money.