Card cloning ringleader nabbed
The team will use the cloned information on the cards and computers to determine the extent of the loss suffered by the victims.
Mr Svetozar Pavlov Spasov, a 38-year-old Bulgarian national who the SAPS believe could be a card cloning ringleader, was arrested at his Bedfordview apartment for fraud on Monday, June 9.
The arrest was made after a joint sting operation between the Commercial Crimes Unit of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), the Hawks and the South African Banking Risk and Information Centre (SABRIC).
Mr Spasov was arrested while in the act of cloning various bank and retail shops’ cards.
According to the Hawks spokesperson, Captain Paul Ramaloko, “The suspect was under surveillance. It is believed he tampered with numerous ATMs in Gauteng.
“He would subsequently use the information to clone his victims’ bank cards and later unlawfully withdraw money from their bank accounts,” said Capt Ramaloko.
The team will use the cloned information on the cards and computers to determine the extent of the loss suffered by the victims.
“At the time of his arrest, the team seized equipment comprising camera moulds for high-tech devices, a card writer, counterfeit cards, laptops, cellular phones, tablet devices and uncut diamonds,” said Capt Ramaloko.
The suspect appeared in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on charges of fraud on June 11.
The case was postponed to June 19. @BedfordJourno
