STRATEGIC PARTNERS
November 17, 2002
SYDNEY -- A Malaysian national, 28-year-old Kok Meng Ng, was forced to surrender his passport in Parramatta Local Court on Nov. 18 after being arrested by Sydney police on suspicion of ATM fraud.
Police said a search of Ng's room turned up a laptop and computer equipment, credit cards, and more than $34,000 in cash, according to a report in The Australian.
Despite being unemployed while in Australia, Ng is alleged to have sent $180,000 back to Malaysia.
Police believe that Ng, who is in Australia on a tourist visa, is part of a Malaysian crime gang aiming at ATMs in New South Wales and Victoria. He was charged with obtaining data with intent to facilitate a serious criminal offense, and three counts of goods in custody.
Skimming devices and pinhole cameras are believed to have been used at at least five ATMs to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from ATM card holders in Melbourne and Sydney.
(See related story Australian authorities discover skimming scam)
So far, more than $500,000 has been stolen from accounts, with police warning this figure is expected to rise as more people realize they have been robbed. Police prosecutor Sergeant Brendon Searson told the court that the figure is "growing daily as new victims arise."
Searson said "three other persons of interest had already left the country" with police considering Mr Ng a "serious flight risk."
