Published: Saturday October 31, 2009 MYT 5:02:00 PM
Interpol track M’sian girls in credit card fraud
CHENNAI: 'Charlie's Angels' they are not, but three Malaysian teenage girls will soon have a date with Interpol over their links to an international fake credit card syndicate based in South India.
While the teenagers have returned to Malaysia after majoring in cosmetology courses at colleges in this southern city, Chennai police have uncovered their link to a Sri Lankan, believed to be the syndicate mastermind.
Working for the Sri Lankan, the police discovered that while pursuing the courses, the Malaysians were given fake credit cards to purchase expensive goods here.
They were paid 5,000 Indian rupees (RM500) for each transaction.
Following a tip-off last week, the police arrested the 25-year-old Sri Lankan now a Canadian citizen who spilled the beans on the Malaysian girls who worked for him.
As the girls had returned to Malaysia a few months ago, Chennai police alerted Interpol to track them down.
Chennai Police (special crime division) Deputy Commissioner C. Sridhar told Bernama Saturday that the girls were used by the syndicate leader to purchase jewellery and cell phones worth nearly 50 lakhs (RM500,000).
He said that for each transaction, the girls were paid about 5,000 Indian rupees (RM500).
"Surely, the girls were part of the gang. We are now in the process of ascertaining their actual names, addresses and college names.
"Once we have this information, we will seek Interpol's assistance to investigate the girls," added Sridhar.
He said that upon interrogation, the Sri Lankan told Indian sleuths that his group obtained empty credit cards belonging to Malaysian banks via courier, but did not reveal further details of his Malaysian nexus.
Later, he printed names on the empty cards in his rented house in Porur, located in the suburbs of Chennai.
Besides the Sri Lankan, Chennai police have also detained a Singaporean and several Indian nationals, all suspected to be linked to the highly-organised fake credit card ring operating in South India.
Meanwhile, the Times of India reported that the Sri Lankan had fixed spy cameras in the girls' handbags to check out potential shops and monitored them via a mini-television inside his car while he gave instructions through mobile phones.
"Once inside, they were told what to buy and to approach a particular billing counter manned by young boys who did not check the credit card too closely.
"This, the Sri Lankan felt, would help the girls complete their mission," reported the Times, quoting a police officer in Chennai. - Bernama
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