Kathmandu, September 6

The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police has arrested Turkish national for allegedly duplicating multinational debit cards and withdrawing cash from ATM booths in Kathmandu.

CIB Spokesperson SP Meera Chaudhary said, Ekrem Ormanci (passport number U10328591) was arrested from a hotel in Thamel yesterday. Police have confiscated Euro 1,225, USD 9,710, Indonesian Rupiah 33,000, 34 units of counterfeit ATM cards, a laptop computer and a card skimmer from his possession.

She informed that Ormanci, 30, who arrived in Nepal on August 30 was preparing to leave today, but CIB nabbed him just a day before his departure from Tribhuvan International Airport. The Turkish national was planning to exchange the ill-gotton Nepali rupees for USD and Euro.

According to CIB, he came to Nepal with counterfeit debit cards and all logistics necessary to steal money from Kathmandu-based ATMs. Police have stepped up surveillance of suspected East European nationals, especially those from Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria, in the capital with specific focus on those loitering around the ATM booths.

The move comes in the wake of surge in ATM card skimming frauds involving foreign nationals linked with international syndicate of debit card information theft.

The racketeers instal electronic devices inside the ATM kiosk of banks to steal the secret pin codes and card details. Hidden camera, false ATM keyboard, false card slot and skimmers are devices used by the racketeers for unauthorised withdrawal of cash from ATM booths.