ATM scammers used cloned cards to withdraw around Tk5-6 crore from different banks, investigators are now saying, adding that the figure could grow even higher.
“The forgery gang used to withdraw money by manipulating services from point of sale terminals, especially using cards of clients who were travelling abroad. For this, it is taking more time to calculate [the damages],” said Monirul Islam, chief of police’s counter-terrorism and transnational crime (CT) unit.
He made the comments after the CT unit and Detective Branch recovered Tk51 lakh from a fashion store in the capital on Saturday, using information gleaned from prime suspect Piotr Szczepan Mazurek.
Monirul Islam, also the additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the recovered money had been withdrawn using a clone card from a newly launched private bank.
However, he did not disclose the names of the private bank or the fashion store.
Meanwhile, the CT unit also used information from Piotr to conduct a drive in Gulshan area early yesterday and arrest two more suspects in the ATM forgery case.
“The arrestees are Humayun Kabir and Saifuzzaman,” said Maruf Hossain Sarder, a DMP deputy commissioner (media and publication).
In primary interrogation, Humayun reportedly admitted of helping Piotr exchange taka for dollar and send it abroad. Saif, on the other hand, used to work in a private bank but was fired in 2012 for an ATM card scam.
CT unit chief Monirul said they are now analysing 50 more suspects – all bankers, businessmen and hotel owners – to see if they had links to the scam.
“We suspect that more people were involved as many more banks are filling complaints with us,” he said.
Suspects remanded
The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Saad Bir Yeasir Ahsan Chowdhury yesterday placed Piotr and three detained City Bank officials – Moksed Alam Maksud, Rezaul Karim Shahin and Refaz Ahmed Roni – under a fresh four-day remand. This will be the third round of remand for the men.
The same court also granted a three-day remand against Humayun and Saif, after the police sought a five-day remand.
Meanwhile, members of the CT unit are also working on sending a list of four suspects to the Interpol.
“Profiles of Piotr, his friend Farid Nabir, Romeo and Andy have been readied and will soon be sent to Interpol for their assistance in tracing the criminals and bringing them to justice,” said a senior DB official requesting anonymity.
Piotr’s profile would be sent to Interpol because he had been involved in similar ATM scams in other countries, the official said, adding that if Piotr’s name was found in other criminal databases, that might help in tracking his other associates in the international forgery gang.