…. As CP Ammani urges bank customers to be mindful of who assists them at ATMs
Police Operatives serving in Hawk Tactical Squad of the Enugu State Command in synergy with Troops of the Nigerian Air Force Enugu, on Saturday, 6th May 2023 intercepted and arrested in Emene, Enugu, a criminal syndicate of four Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards swapping suspects.
According to a press release on Tuesday, 23rd May 2023 signed by the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said they include three males namely Michael Sopuruchi aged 36, Osinachi Godwin aged 18, and Moses Ani aged 29, and one female and a mother of four, Chika Nwoko aged 29, all of the behind Emenite, Emene, Enugu.
The suspects were arrested, while escaping to their above-mentioned criminal hideout in Emene, Enugu, after they fraudulently stole the ATM Card and Personal Identification Number (PIN) of an unsuspecting 63-year-old male victim, while pretending to assist him withdraw money from a commercial Bank ATM along Ogui Road, Enugu.
Ndukwe said immediately after the switch, the suspects used the Card and PIN to withdraw the total sum of four hundred and ninety-five thousand Naira (N495,000.00) from the victim’s account.
Meanwhile, the suspects confessed to the crime, stating that they have carried out many other criminal acts of ATM card swapping and fraud within the Enugu metropolis, while four different banks’ ATM Cards, including that of the victim, were recovered from them.
The Command spokesperson further said the suspects on Tuesday, 23rd May 2023, were arraigned in court, where the Magistrate ordered that they should be remanded in Enugu Custodial Centre, while the case is adjourned to Wednesday, 7th June 2023 for further hearing and the case-file transmitted to the Attorney General for legal advice, through the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ministry of Justice, Enugu State.
“To this end, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Ammani, while commending the Joint Operatives for busting and bringing the criminal syndicate to book, has called on bank customers, particularly the elderly and those without proper knowledge of how to use ATMs of banks, to exercise caution and seek the assistance of Banks’ staff while using their Cards on the Machine, the statement concluded.
