site.btaNine Arrested in Bulgaria in International Police Operation against ATM Skimmers

Nine Arrested in Bulgaria in International Police Operation against ATM Skimmers

Sofia, June 14 (BTA) - Nine people have been arrested in Bulgaria in a joint international police operation against ATM skimmers, which resulted in a total of 31 arrests - 21 in Spain, and one in the Czech Republic.

Earlier on Wednesday, media outlets reported that a Bulgarian-Spanish ring, involved in cloning and draining bank cards, was busted in a joint operation between the Bulgarian authorities and Europol.

A total of 48 searches and seizures have been conducted. The suspects were found in possession of equipment for tampering bank cards, readers and recorders, skimming devices, microcameras, devices for manipulating ATMs, as well as cash, numerous tampered cards, drugs and tampered euro banknotes.

The ring was installing devices on an average of 400 ATMs each year between 2014 and 2017, with the goal of copying and using bank card information. The tampered cards were used for illegal transactions outside the EU, mainly in the US, the Dominican Republic, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Peru, the Philippines and Costa Rica. Approximately 3,000 EU citizens have fallen victim of the criminal group, which has stolen at least 500,000 euro from them.

Approached to comment another operation, conduced by the State Agency for National Security and the Chief Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime, against corrupt officials at the Customs Agency, which closed the Koulata checkpoint on the border with Greece, Marinov said that only customs officers have been arrested. The Customs Agency Chief, Georgi Kostov, told journalists that the checkpoint is closed and searches and seizures are being carried out. It will remain closed for as long as necessary, but should resume operations sometime on Wednesday, Kostov said.