ATM Swap Expert Arrested While Defrauding Victim In Enugu

The Enugu State Police Command, weekend, announced the arrest of one Chukwudi Chukwu, 25, for allegedly swapping an ATM card of a bank customer, and attempting to defraud the victim.

Our correspondent gathered that the suspect was manhandled by a mob, and would have been severely injured if not for the quick intervention of the police.

ASP Daniel Ndukwe, police PRO, Enugu State, in a statement made available THE WHISTLER, stated that the arrest of the suspect was effected by police operatives attached to New Haven Police division on 16/04/21, at about 0900hrs.

He gave the details of the suspect as Chukwudi Chukwu of Nwofe Village in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, adding that he was arrested at Chime Avenue, Enugu.

According to the PPRO, “His arrest led to the recovery of a yellow-coloured Bajaj tricycle with registration number ENU 677 WW, which he and his gang used for the operation. Nine ATM cards of different banks were recovered from them.

“The suspect, whose arrest was due to a swift response to a distress call and his rescue from an angry mob by the operatives, is alleged to have fraudulently swapped a victim’s UBA ATM card, after offering to assist process her transaction on another bank’s ATM, with the intention of defrauding her.

“He confessed to the crime, as well as being a member of the syndicate that is specialized in unsuspectingly swapping ATM cards of their victims at banks’ ATMs with non-functional cards, which they use to fraudulently obtain funds from their accounts.”

Ndukwe said investigations were ongoing to arrest and ‘bring to book other members of the criminal syndicate, including the suspect’s accomplices who escaped on the date’.

Meanwhile, the state commissioner of police, CP Mohammed Ndatsu Aliyu, has applauded citizens of the state for their assistance in the fight against criminals and their activities. He, however, pleaded with them to quickly hand over arrested criminals to the police for proper investigations and prosecution, rather than indulge in mob actions that ‘are tantamount to jungle justice’.