Kerala hi-tech ATM theft: One Romanian national held, two flee country

Mangalore Today News Network

Kochi, Aug 10, 2016: Kerala Police have arrested one Romanian national in connection with the hi-tech ATM robbery in which people lost about Rs 4.5 lakhs in Thiruvananthapuram.

According to reports, the filmy-style ATM robbery was executed by three Romanian nationals who ito the ATM, stole data and robbed people of nearly Rs 4.5 lakhs.

The Kerala Police, which arrested one Romanian national, said that two others have managed to flee the country.

An investigation by the Kerala Police found that three Romanians - Christine Victor, Mariyan Gabriel and Florin - are behind the hi-tech theft. The three reached the Kerala capital as tourists.

They stayed in three luxurious hotels in the city. The three went out from the hotel in two-wheelers.

Two vehicles used by them has been recovered from Kovalam. The three stayed in three different hotels so that no one would suspect them. However, the three used to meet in different places of the city.

The racket was busted after many people filed a complaint with the police, following messages they had received on their phone intimating them about transactions, which they had not carried out.

Kerala Police claims that the suspects are part of an international racket, which stole crucial data and stole people’s money from ATMs in Mumbai and Delhi.
 
An SIT team had left for Mumbai to carry out further investigations after which it arrested one Romanian national.

The state’s Special Investigation Team had obtained CCTV footage from the SBI ATM at Althara Junction near Vellayambalam, where all the fraudulent transactions were carried out.

The video showed three people attaching an electronic device at the ATM counter, enabling the fraudsters to collect the PIN code and card details.

The device that was fixed above the ATM machine, had a micro camera and another device was placed in the card slot of the machine. According to the police, the micro camera might have helped in getting the ATM PINs.

The SBI had promised to refund customers whose money was stolen. 

This is one of the biggest ATM heists that the state has witnessed and the modus operandi followed is eerily similar to a 2009 Malayalam movie Robinhood starring Prithviraj.