Mumbai Crime: Two Romanian nationals arrested for ATM card cloning

The accused have been identified as Miyu Ruchinal (48) and Budai Romana (36)

The Cyber Cell Unit of the north region (Mumbai) arrested two Romanian nationals, who allegedly cloned ATM cards and withdrew money. The police recovered Rs 60,000 from their houses. The accused have been identified as Miyu Ruchinal (48) and Budai Romana (36). The police also seized dozens of cloned ATM cards, micro camera and cloning machines from their possession.

The accused used to plant the micro camera and the magnetic chip in the cloning machine and fix it in the ATM machine. They used to wait in a car outside the ATM and after 15-20 people had used the ATM machine, they would remove the cloning machine and make duplicate ATM cards.

Later, the accused used to withdraw money from different ATMs using duplicate cards.

Speaking with mid-day, a cyber cell officer said, "Last week, a person approached Kandivli Cyber Cell Unit and complained that Rs 6.05 lakh was withdrawn from his account from an ATM machine in Malad East. We scanned the CCTV footage of the ATM centre and saw the accused planting the micro camera and the magnetic chip in the ATM machine. Later, we saw the accused sitting in a red colour car outside the ATM. We tracked the vehicle through the number plate and found it parked at the Lokhandwala area. We followed the car and noticed that it was parked outside an ATM centre at Malad."

"We caught the accused red-handed while installing the cloning device. We also found the micro camera and magnetic chip in his pocket and several ATM cards. The accused confessed to the crime," the officer added.

"We have arrested both the accused under IPC section 420 and sections of the IT Act," the officer further said.