Eleven arrested in ATM 'skimming' crackdown
GARDAI in Dublin have arrested 11 suspects in an ATM skimming racket in the capital.
In a garda crackdown codenamed Operation Glint, officers from the Dublin Metropolitan Area have been scoring major successes.
The aim of the operation is to disrupt the activities of ATM fraudsters, particularly those using skimming technologies at ATM machines.
The operation began on January 24 and so far 11 people have been arrested and charged.
The operation is being led by Detective Supt Gabriel O'Gara.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said gardai were working to make people aware of the face that ATM skimming is widespread across the city.
"Support is provided by the district detective inspectors and detective branch personnel in each of the garda districts, together with liaison provided by personnel at the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation," he said.
In February, members of an ATM skimming gang, some of whom targeted President Mary McAleese's husband, were jailed by Dublin District Court.
laptop
Martin McAleese had his ATM card skimmed by a gang, which later created a copy of his card and used it to withdraw €5,000 from his account.
Other members of the Romanian group were also found with advanced skimming equipment, including a laptop containing 1,900 credit card numbers and footage of people entering their pin numbers into ATMs.
George Cioara (27), Vasile Martin (36), Bogdan Scantei (27), Vlad Condriuc (25) and Adrian Morosan (19), all of no fixed abode, and Costel Asimioanei (28), of Dara Court, Celbridge, Kildare, received sentences ranging from 16 months to 10 years.
Last week it was revealed that staff at Today FM have been swindled out of thousands of euro by an ATM-skimming device.
Workers at the station had their accounts cleared out at an AIB ATM close to Mercer's Hospital on Lower Mercer Street, Dublin 2.
Ian Dempsey broke the news to his followers saying: "Loads of people in Today FM have been skimmed at a nearby ATM."
hnews@herald.ie
- Cormac Byrne
