inp.polri.go.id – Sub-Directorate II of Banking of Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of North Sulawesi Police recently uncovered the case of skimming crime syndicate at Bank SulutGo. The case was revealed directly by the North Sulawesi Police Chief, Inspector General Mulyatno, in a press conference at the Catur Prasetya room of North Sulawesi Police HQ. “The syndicate consists of two men from Bulgaria, and two women from Indonesia. The two men of Bulgaria have the initials of MIS alias AM (28) and VAK (36), while the women from Indonesia have the initials of CW (23) from Maluku and ALS (31) from Surabaya,” said the Two-Star General. The syndicate operated in 26 different ATM of SulutGo Bank in Manado on June 30th, 2022, at 00:30 to 06:00 WITA. "The perpetrators stole the money by using cards that resemble ATM cards (white cards containing a magnetic stripe) at Bank SulutGo ATM machines," said Akabri graduate in 1988. The perpetrators made these transactions 634 times, with total of cash withdrawals amounting to Rp450,900,000, they also transfers to 18 Indodax Bank Mandiri virtual accounts for Rp.3,306,040, for a total of Rp. 3,756,940,000, from 229 accounts of Bank SulutGo customers . "Earlier in January 2022, a skimmer was found in the card reader of the Bank SulutGo Markobar Tikala ATM machine, Manado, and in March 2022 the perpetrators made transactions (cash withdrawals and transfers) at several other bank ATM machines in the Bali and Surabaya areas in the amount of Rp. 1,789,563,000 of the 144 accounts of Bank SulutGo customers," explained Inspector General Mulyatno. Then after following up on the report from the North Sulawesi Regional Police regarding Bank SulutGo on July 5, 2022, Sub-Directorate II Banking of the Special Crimes Investigation Unit conducted an investigation to arrest the syndicate, at a different location and time. Police managed to secure a number of evidences, namely clothes, hats, shoes, and glasses used by the perpetrators when committing skimming crimes, 9 cellphones, 2 laptops, 2 white card skimming, 1 skimmer, 1 Daihatsu Xenia, 2 motorcycles, fake number plates, order notes for fake number plates, savings books for Bank SulutGo, Bank of Central Kalimantan, Bank of Aceh, and Bank of South Kalimantan on behalf of CW, 4 SIM cards and 2 flash drives. "The perpetrators and a number of evidences have been secured by the North Sulawesi Police for further examination. The perpetrators will be charged with Article 48 paragraph (1), (2) in conjunction with Article 32 paragraph (1), (2) and/or Article 52 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 51 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 36 of Law No. 19 of 2016 concerning Amendments Based on the RI Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning ITE in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code, with a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison,” concluded the North Sulawesi Police Chief.