Bulgarian held for unauthorised use of bank cards

KATHMANDU: Police arrested a Bulgarian national for his alleged involvement in unauthorised use of bank cards to steal money from various accounts, from Kathmandu.

The 38-year-old Dimo Atanasov Stefanov (holding the passport number 382222500) was arrested from Thamel of Kathmandu on Thursday, the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police said in a statement today.

Police said the suspect would use hidden cameras and chips to track PIN and other details of the card users at ATM booths of Thamel and Durbarmarg areas.

Police meanwhile seized USD 17,250, Euro 600, a magnetic strip reader and writer, a Samsung mobile phone, two hidden cameras, an Acer laptop and three flash drives from his possession.

He would face a case under the Banking Offence and Punishment Act, 2008, after necessary investigation, according to the CIB.

Meanwhile, police have alerted members of the public to ensure their safety before using their cards in ATM booths.

They have asked the public to keep their PINs safe and change them regularly, and subscribe for SMS alerts for transactions to avoid any unauthorised use.

In past two years, the CIB had arrested three other foreigners - one each from Turkey, Bulgeria and Romania - for their involvement in similar cases.

READ ALSO: