Three of the 5 French
nationals arrested in Pattaya ATM scam chained up awaiting
interrogation.
Boonlua Chatree
Five French nationals were arrested for allegedly using
counterfeit electronic cards to rob millions of baht from Pattaya
automated teller machines.
Siam Commercial Bank fraud officials notified police Sept. 11 that their
machines were being looted by foreigners using cards bearing numbers of
bank customers from around the world.
Using security camera photos supplied by the bank, police staked out a
number of Pattaya machines until capturing Mohamed Hebbache, 22, with 10
fake cards. He took police back to his hotel on Thappraya Road where
investigators found another 132 cards.
Under interrogation, Hebbache gave up the name of four other French
citizens and their whereabouts.
Following the leads, police arrested Abdelkader Elhaci, 32, at his hotel
with 148 cards. Beuadeilah Slami, 38, was rounded up at an ATM on South
Road. Police said he tried to flee police, who discovered 10 counterfeit
cards on him.
Slami, in turn, pointed officers back to the same hotel as Hebbache to
apprehend the last two suspects, Clement Simon, 25, with 44 electronic
cards; and Djilati Boudjelal, 30, with 50 cards.
Police confiscated the 384 cards and slapped the five with a myriad of
fraud and theft charges.
