Five Frenchmen arrested for Phuket ATM skimming fraud 'in the millions'

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Five Frenchmen arrested for Phuket ATM skimming fraud 'in the millions'
Eakkapop Thongtub


Five Frenchmen arrested for Phuket ATM skimming fraud 'in the millions'

PHUKET: -- Five Frenchmen are in police custody while another suspect is at large, wanted for ATM skimming fraud in Phuket amounting to losses “in the millions”, police said.

The men, who have denied all allegations, were paraded to the media this morning (February 3)at a press conference at Phuket Provincial Police Station, headed by Phuket Provincial Police Commander, Maj Gen Pachara Boonyasit.

The suspects – identified as Kevin Tahiango Theodore Okito 29, the alleged leader of the group, Mel Duval Poaty, 29, Accel Jonathan Poaty Pambou, 26, Samir Maruof 29 and Jessy Bianvenu Vincence, 33 – were presented to the press along with seized evidence, including 15 fake electronic cards, a notebook computer, flash drive and five passports.

Two of the men were arrested at a Fresh Mart store in Kamala, while the other three were nabbed at a rented home in Chalong on February 28, police said.

Police said the men were believed to be part of an international skimming gang.

Their arrest came after Phuket police Superintentent Lt Col Prawi Angchuwn received information from the money laundering crime and security department of Siam Commercial Bank that on February 22, a group of dark skinned men used skimming cards on multiple occasions to withdrawal cash from one of their ATMs in front of the Fresh Mart convenience store in Kamala and other locations in Chalong.

Investigators and undercover agents staked out the scenes where the men had worked.

Police said that the gang divided themselves into two groups to commit the crimes – one group was based at the rented house on Soi Prattana in Chalong and the other at the rented house on Soi Huakwan in Kamala.

According to police, at 1am on Feb 28, Kevin and Mel left the house in Kamala and came to the Fresh Mart.

Kevin took an undisclosed amount of cash out of the machine while Mel was one the lookout for his partner, police said.

When police approached them, both men attempted to flee into a nearby soi but police were able to apprehend them, with skimmer cards on their possession.

Police later raided the house in Chalong and arrested the other three suspects, Jonathan,Samir and Jessy, while a fourth man managed to flee the scene.

Police seized the rest of the evidence, and said they have notified immigration police to be on the lookout for the other man at large and arrest him upon positive identification.

Police clarified that they had photographic evidence of the sixth suspect, but could not obtain a name from any of the other suspects.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/five-frenchmen-arrested-for-phuket-atm-skimming-fraud-in-the-millions-51238.php


-- Phuket News 2015-03-03

[uptheos 11,124]

" a group of dark skinned men used skimming cards on multiple occasions"

What, now it's not pc to say black?

[nzexpat 448]

French ?

Really ?

[angsta 2,106]

Kevin Tahiango Theodore Okito doesn't sound typically French to me.

[Costas2008 15,357]

French ?

Really ?

Yes they are French.

Haven't you heard that with the global warming the sun is very strong in France so the people started going black?

In the UK the sun is not so severe so people started going less dark.......let's say they look like Indians or Pakistanis.

A big problem it is this global warming........

[tingtongfarang 1,492]

French ?

Really ?

What do you expect...onions hanging around the neck?

[clockman 8,974]

African French colonys

[lazygourmet 767]

They don't look a bit like Napoleon...............

Napoleon was Corsican...

Still more than halfway from were the culprits are originating from.

[NativeSon360 319]

"Police clarified that they had photographic evidence of the sixth suspect, but could not obtain a name from any of the other suspects." Ditt Take the bust, and then keep your mouth shut.

[LivinginKata 9,143]

Enough of the racial comments. Obviously they are from one of the old French African colonies.

Try to concentrate on the crime of card skimming/fraud. I hope these guys get locked up in Thailand for a very long time. .

[hanno 3,056]

Kevin Tahiango Theodore Okito doesn't sound typically French to me.

This is getting so old. Not all French are called Charles Henri Duval, just like not all Brits are called Jim Smith and just like not all Germans are called Fritz Mueller. If they have French passports, then that is what they are; regardless of names or skin color.

[dean008 176]

Kevin Tahiango Theodore Okito 29, the alleged leader of the group, Mel Duval Poaty, 29, Accel Jonathan Poaty Pambou, 26, Samir Maruof 29 and Jessy Bianvenu Vincence

Bonjour Tahiango, Poaty, Poaty Samir and Jesy, All typical frenchmen. And people wonder why the European Union is a joke

[dean008 176]

Maybe it is old, but when a Country allows all sorts in its worth a comment

Kevin Tahiango Theodore Okito doesn't sound typically French to me.

This is getting so old. Not all French are called Charles Henri Duval, just like not all Brits are called Jim Smith and just like not all Germans are called Fritz Mueller. If they have French passports, then that is what they are; regardless of names or skin color.

[dean008 176]

I hope so too. Is it racist to question how these people can be considered french when the are as french as Big Ben

Enough of the racial comments. Obviously they are from one of the old French African colonies.

Try to concentrate on the crime of card skimming/fraud. I hope these guys get locked up in Thailand for a very long time. .

[Somtamnication 23,563]

Well, now they are going to wag their tails like Pepe Le Pew at Phuket Prison.