ATM robbery - suspect at large

The Interpol have thrown a dragnet to capture the Rumanian woman named Elena wanted in connection with one of the biggest Credit Card Frauds committed in Sri Lanka. The woman on the run is believed to be moving from one European capital to another following the arrest of four suspects by the Criminal Investigation Department last month.

Meanwhile the CID along with Interpol officials are investigating in to how a Sri Lankan man who lived in Italy came to possess a 8mm pistol with ammunition belonged to the Italian police.

The Rumanian couple who visited Sri Lanka on an earlier occasion slipped away from the country on 20th December 2010 by taking a flight to Rome via Dubai in an Emirates flight from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). The purpose of their visit to Sri Lanka was to gather sufficient information regarding secret code numbers of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card holders, sources told the “Sunday Observer.” Meanwhile investigations have revealed that Elena along with the other suspects had stolen Rs 14million from Sri Lankan banks by duplicating the secret code numbers of local credit card holders. The numbers have been incorporated in to plastic cards manufactured in Italy and withdrawn money from Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in Italy. Having intercepted several mobile phone conversations between the Rumanian nationals and the Sri Lankans involved, the sleuths were able to gather vital information relating to the ATM fraud. They listened to their conversation and learnt a lot about the plan they were trying to execute at a private bank at Wellawatte. The sleuths thereafter took up positions near an ATM at Wellawatte. They waited patiently for the arrival of the Rumanian couple. A short while later the Romanian couple arrived at a ATM of a bank at Wellawatte. The woman stood away from the ATM. She was on the lookout for anyone approaching the ATM.

In the meantime the man approached the ATM, took its measurement and walked away with the woman. A few hours later two local men walked up to the ATM. They fixed a device to the ATM, and withdrew money and walked towards a jeep parked close by. The CID men watched all what went on for several hours.

The two men drove off in their jeep in the direction of Galle followed by the sleuths. They drove the vehicle all the way to Punchi Kuruduwatte Galle to put up for the night. Before dawn the sleuths raided the house and arrested the two suspects linked to the ATM fraud. After questioning the suspects the sleuths learnt that Madusanka had migrated to Italy sometime ago.

While their room was searched police found an Italian made pistol, 75 credit cards with pin numbers, a Lap Top and details of credit card transactions with several tee shirts. Among the credit cards were 10 ESS Elunga cards, 6 Euro cards, 1 Auchan card, 1 Master Card, 2 Commercial Bank Cards, People’s Bank Master Card, 1 Hatton National Bank Card and Commercial Bank Visa card. Madusanka was later coached by the CID to be in constant touch with the Romanian national. The Rumanian couple was unaware that Madushanka was in custody.

He was instructed to tell his Rumanian friends that everything was all right and for him to come to Sri Lanka when the ICC World Cup cricket matches commence. The Rumanians were unaware that it was a trap laid to arrest them. On the following month the Rumanian suspect along with two other Rumanians arrived in the country before the commencement of the ICC World Cup matches. “They may have come here with the intention of pilfering money from foreign ATM card holders, during ICC matches, “ CID sources said. However on the day of their arrival sleuths proceeded to the BIA. No sooner the main Rumanian suspect was cleared by the Immigration, he was whisked away to the 4th floor at the CID headquarters in Colombo. During interrogation the Romanian mastermind admitted committing several ATM frauds in Sri Lanka and elsewhere in Asia. He also told them that another two Rumanians had also arrived on the same flight. They had come to Sri Lanka on a tourist visas, were due to return to Italy next month.

A team of CID men visited the hotel at Nawala where the two Rumanians were staying. The suspects had checked into the hotel for five days and their bills were paid by the local agents. They two men were put up at two separate rooms in the hotel. On the Following day the Rumanians visited the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles office at Werehera and obtained an international Licence. Thereafter they visited a rent-a- car service at Dehiwela and Kirulapone and hired a car. They travelled in the vehicle to several Automated Teller Machines at Kadawatha and other ATMs in the city.

The suspects then met a tourist guide at Galle Face and made inquiries of the location of the RomanianEmbassy in Sri Lanka. The guide however dropped them when the Rumanians made discreet inquiries about ATM’s in the city and elsewhere. Both suspects even travelled to far away places like Galle to collect information on ATM networks.

The suspects were arrested when they were about to check out from their hotel. “They only stayed for two days at the Nawala hotel although they had booked it for five days.” sources said. Meanwhile police found electronic equipment in their possession. Police said the local banks had lost millions of rupees due to ATM fraud.

The matter came to light when a ATM card holder complained that someone had stolen his money from his bank account. The images recorded in the banks CCTV have shed light on the ATM fraud, sources sai