Prosecutors and police on Thursday raided 85 addresses in Bucharest and 16 counties, targeting 70 people who would be forged cards and withdrew two million euro illegal in several states simultaneously searches taking place in Germany, UK, U.S. and Dominican Republic.
Searches took place in Bucharest and Ilfov, Valcea Vrancea, Brasov, Constanta, Olt, Salaj, Cluj, Suceava, Braila, Galati Giurgiu, Hunedoara Iasi, Neamt, Satu Mare, the housing members of organized criminal groups suspected border access without right to a computer system, possessing equipment for counterfeiting and forgery of electronic payment instruments, putting into circulation of counterfeit payment instruments and performing fraudulent transactions by electronic payment instruments, it said in a press release Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).
Simultaneously with the action triggered by DIICOT prosecutors to request house searches are taking place in Germany, UK, USA and the Dominican Republic.
According to prosecutors, criminal groups are made up of over a hundred people and leaders were identified as Constantine Claw, said Tica, aged 53, Romeo Ursu said Boen, 45 years, Lucian booms, said Midget , for 45 years, and resumed Serban, 57 years.
"In fact, it holds that, under their direction, members of groups have made skimming equipment, equipment was later used to copy data to identify electronic means of payment used at various ATM or POS terminal, located in the following countries Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, France, Britain, Ecuador, Colombia, Austria, "said DIICOT.
Data were used to identify children falsification of electronic payment means used later to withdraw substantial amounts of money in the Dominican Republic, USA, Japan, Jordan and Nepal.
Criminal groups would have produced such damage estimated at over two million, according to the source.
At the end of the searches will be taken at the DIICOT - Central Structure 70 people to be heard, followed prosecutors have legal measures in their case.
Police Organized Crime Brigade Pitesti - Service cybercrime established that in 2011, in Bucharest and 22 counties, respectively Valcea, Olt, Satu Mare, Hunedoara, Constanta, Bacau, Ialomita, Sibiu, Salaj Timisoara, Vrancea, Vaslui, Braila Brasov, Buzau Cluj, Covasna, Manchester, Ilfov, Iasi, Giurgiu, Piatra Neamt and abroad in 17 countries, namely the U.S., Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Jordan, Ecuador , Japan, Nepal, UK, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, France and Ukraine, works seven organized criminal groups consisting of approximately 100 members, with links between them, with clearly defined roles and hierarchical, which offenders with electronic payment instruments (skimming, carding - wrongful trading and fraudulent use of credit card information stolen, counterfeit cards, fraudulent cash withdrawals or payments), said the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police (IGRP) in a press release issued MEDIAFAX.
Crime victims are individuals or legal in Germany, Spain, Portugal, England, Switzerland, Austria, France, Lithuania and the U.S., according IGRP.
Members of both groups were active in Romania and abroad. In Romania organized criminal activity, involving "persons with criminal past, particularly crimes court, which, by the positions they occupy in these environments, fail to attract funds to provide protection, anonymity, hindering their discovery by investigators and to conduct illegal activities in the best possible conditions for obtaining a quick profit, "reads the Romanian Police.
The members of groups skimming equipment manufactured for both ATM and POS terminal within "laboratories" and raised money from crime, then collected and sent abroad in Romania. In Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, France, Great Britain, Ecuador, Colombia and Austria, members of groups installing skimming devices on ATMs and POS, identifying suspects in advance places (supermarkets, shops), where they were hiding at night and manipulating equipment.
According to police sources, raids were focused on two "laboratories" of Bucharest, where feasible Valcea skimming equipment.
"Later, confidential data bank was taken over by bluetooth or POS terminals rose (sting of robberies), forged electronic payment instruments, withdrawing cash from compromised card accounts at ATMs using counterfeit cards and purchase products from different units, using counterfeit cards. identification data were used to counterfeit copies of electronic payment means used to withdraw money, the territory of the Dominican Republic, the USA, Japan, Jordan, Nepal, "it reads the police.
Searches are made by prosecutors DIICOT - central structure with judicial police officers from the Organised Crime Squad Pitesti and Organised Crime Directorate, supported by gendarmes. Technical support and information was provided by the Romanian Intelligence Service, Special Operations Division and the General Intelligence and Internal Protection.
DIICOT prosecutors cooperated in the investigation of the case to Eurojust and Europol and judicial authorities in Germany, Spain, UK, Switzerland and Portugal.
In the control center are present representatives of Europol - EC3 (European Cybercrime Centre) Romanian police said.
The action was supported by FBI office in the U.S. Embassy, U.S. FBI agents, New York, Secret Service Office of the U.S. Embassy, representatives BKA Wiesbaden - Germany, investigators from the DCPCU London and Eurojust.