Police operatives and Nigerian Air Force (NAF) troops arrested a four-member syndicate suspected of specialising in automated teller machine (ATM) cards swapping.

This is contained in a statement by the police command in Enugu on Wednesday.

The suspects were arrested by police operatives serving in Hawk Tactical Squad and the NAF troops on May 6 at about 4:30 p.m. in Emene, Enugu.

The suspects included three males and one female, a mother of four.

According to the statement, the suspects were arrested while escaping to their hideout in Emene after stealing an ATM card and personal identification number (PIN) of an unsuspecting 63-year-old man.

“This, they did while pretending to assist a 63-year-old man in withdrawing money from a commercial Bank ATM along Ogui Road, Enugu,” the police statement said. “Immediately after switching the ATM card, the suspects used the card and PIN to withdraw the total sum of N495,000 from the victim’s account.”

It added, “The suspects confessed to the crime, stating that they have carried out many other criminal acts of ATM cards swapping and fraud within Enugu metropolis. Four different bank ATM cards, including that of the victim, were recovered from them.”

The statement said police commissioner Ahmed Ammani commended the joint operatives for bursting and bringing the criminal syndicate to book but urged bank customers, particularly the elderly and those without proper knowledge of using ATMs, to exercise caution.

The police boss urged bank customers to seek the assistance of bank staff while using their cards at the ATM. 

(NAN)