ROMANIAN SCAMMERS DENIED ENTRY INTO JAMAICA

Two Romanian nationals, believed to be members of an international scamming network, were refused entry into Jamaica when they landed last week.

The refusal of entry is linked to an emerging trend which has seen a number of foreigners, particularly Romanians, setting up scamming operations in Jamaica.

In recent months, members of a Romanian criminal network have been fleecing millions of dollars from the accounts of individuals at ATMs across Jamaica.

It has so far been confirmed that more than J$50 million has been stolen by the men.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Clifford Chambers, head of the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Unit (CTOC), told RJR News that the men were intercepted at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, after immigration officials were placed on alert for these individuals entering the island.

“Given our association with our regional counterparts, we were quickly able to discern that one of the persons has been arrested, charged and convicted of fraud-related offences in The Cayman Islands,” Chambers told RJR News.

“Given that that was the first time that they were coming into the country, the immigration authorities acted on our recommendation” to deny them entry, he added.

He said the men were sent back on a flight to Romania.

Remanded

Meanwhile, Claudiu Precup, the Romanian man charged in connection with the ATM scam uncovered by C-TOC, was remanded when he appeared in the St Andrew Parish Court last week.

Precup is facing multiple counts of fraud involving more than J$50 million. He was remanded until Wednesday.

He was charged one week ago by C-TOC investigators who reportedly held him in possession of more than 100 blank ATM cards.

Investigators say Precup and four other members of a fraud network have been targeting ATMs across the island, fleecing millions of dollars from several financial institutions.

The men have been installing devices in the machines, capturing the personal information of cardholders.

ACP Clifford Chambers said arrest warrants have been prepared for the other four Romanians who remain at large.

“We are still on the hunt for them; we went to premises where information discerned that they were at… We are confident that we are making good strides and the investigation continues in all of these fraud-related matters,” he said.

He said documents discovered at the property which was searched provided good leads for the investigators.

“Romanians, for some reason, are finding Jamaica a location of interest, and for that reason we are also on the lookout for them,” he added.

He said the suspects have also been operating in Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, and Canada.