Australian police bust international fraud syndicate:

Lankans among five arrested in Sydney

Men charged with

*Conspiracy to cheat, defraud

*Participating in criminal group

Five men from Malaysia and Sri Lanka were charged yesterday with being members of an international fraud syndicate responsible for attacks on bank card systems across Australia. New South Wales state fraud squad detectives said the arrests in Sydney followed months of investigations with the men allegedly coordinating the group’s activities in Australia, Europe and North America.

“The NSW Police Force is committed to targeting fraud related crime and today’s operation has resulted in the significant disruption of an alleged international syndicate,” said Detective Superintendent Col Dyson.

It is alleged the syndicate employed highly advanced technology to illegally copy account details from the magnetic strips on credit or debit cards when people used handheld machines normally meant for processing payments. The men were charged with offences including conspiracy to cheat and defraud, robbery, participating in a criminal group and possessing equipment to make identification documents.

During raids, police seized items including machines for processing bank payments, laptop computers, numerous mobile phones, cash, false travel documents and a number of Canadian credit cards.

AFP