Four nabbed for ATM theft

The police have arrested four Chinese men after they tried to carry out an elaborate scheme

to steal ATM card information of by fixing miniature cameras on ATM machines. The four

men, all in their thirties and flown in from China, were apprehended by the police within four

days of their arrival after the authorities conducted an extensive investigation based on a tip

off.

The culprits had fixed miniature cameras on ATM machines. The cameras were supposed to

help them photograph the ATM card information of unsuspecting customers. However, their

plans were foiled after a bank official informed the authorities that several small cameras

were spotted attached to the bank’s ATM machine. Interior Ministry's General Directorate of

Anti Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security started an investigation. The

Directorate informed all banks in Bahrain to check on their ATM machines. 

"In earlier cases, bank officials removed such devices which made it difficult to arrest the

suspects. The criminals had placed the cameras to copy the information on the bank cards

and the pin codes while clients pressed the keys. We knew that the culprits had to come back

after a while to remove the cameras to get the information. From the information that was

provided to us and from the experience of previous cases, we were expecting the suspects to

be either Chinese or Malaysians of Chinese origin," Head Of Anti-economic crimes First Lt.

Mohammed Al Abdullah was quoted as saying to Interior Ministry's publication Al Amn. 

Undercover officers were stationed next to banks where they were expected to visit. "A car

arrived with four Chinese men and stopped close to the ATM machine. As they stepped out

and started removing the devises, the police surrounded them and caught them red handed.

When they were searched other deceives removed from the ATM's elsewhere were found in

their possession.

“More devices and laptops were found at the one of their homes. Upon their arrest, they

confessed that they had arrived four days earlier and they thought they could carry out an

easy task but were shocked that they were arrested so quickly." he