Two Sri Lankan nationals, who allegedly cloned credit cards using information pertaining to customers of banks abroad were arrested here on Wednesday.
Seventy fake cards and Rs.1.16 lakh in cash they withdrew from various automated teller machines (ATMs) in the city were seized.
Police sources identified the arrested as Vinod (23) and Nandeepan alias Deepan (31), who were residing in a rented house in Muttukadu. While Vinod has been staying in Chennai since 2007, Nandeepan came to the city in 2010.
Investigations revealed that the duo had come to the city on the instructions of Kumar (28) and two of his accomplices, who are also Sri Lankan nationals and bankcard fraudsters.
“Kumar and his men, who were operating in the city, had taught Vinod how to produce fake credit and debit cards and withdraw money. Kumar and his accomplices left for Malaysia October last year leaving Vinod to handle the illegal operations here,” said an investigating officer.
Last week, Kumar sent Vinod details of an email address along with its password. The email ID contained mails with data of 70 credit cards with PIN (personal identification number) of overseas customers, which Deepan downloaded.
Using a skimmer, decoder and encoder that Kumar had left behind, Vinod and Deepan used the information and made fake cards in their house in Muttukadu.
Later, the duo used 22 cards in different ATMs across the city and withdrew the cash, the officer said.
Around noon on Wednesday, Special Sub Inspector Balasubramanium, who was on patrol duty in Baby Nagar, Velachery, spotted Vinod waiting near an ATM kiosk on a motorcycle.
The officer asked him to produce documents pertaining to the two-wheeler, which Vinod failed to do.
Meanwhile, Deepan came out of the kiosk and got into an argument with the police officer, Velachery police sources said.
Growing suspicious about their behaviour, the Special SI informed the station and sought more personnel.
The two persons were taken into custody. An inspection of Vinod's backpack revealed 70 fake credit cards and Rs.1.16 lakh in cash. Velachery police handed them over to the Bank Fraud Wing of the Central Crime Branch, sources added.
