PANJIM: A Romanian national, wanted in connection with ATM skimmers found at Canara Bank branches in Vasco and Porvorim, was arrested on Wednesday by Panjim police after a similar offence was reported at the Punjab National Bank ATM in the capital.
The man, identified as Alexa Petrica, was arrested following a complaint lodged by PNB Chief Manager Santosh Kumar Yadav that on March 20 an unknown person intentionally installed a suspected skimmer device in the bank ATM and stole confidential data of ATM customers and cheated bank authorities.
“During routine patrolling of the Panjim area, the patrolling team noticed a foreign national suspiciously moving around Panjim Church Square. He tried escaping by running in the lanes. After a chase of 30-40 metres, we apprehended him. The accused has confessed to the crime,” PI Siddhant Shirodkar said. The police have also recovered a skimmer device from his possession.
His arrest comes over a month after Porvorim police arrested his accomplice Marejonar, a Hungarian national following accusations of tampering with the ATM, located near Chogm Road. He was found with another foreign national, supposedly Petrica in the ATM Centre and tampering with the machine.
