Three arrested for using 15 fake credit cards

JAKARTA (JP): City Police have arrested three men wanted by Interpol for their alleged roles in using counterfeit credit cards in several countries, including Indonesia.

The suspects have been identified as Bambang Tri, 52, Yubianto, 43, and Robby, 37. All are Indonesian.

At least 15 credit cards bearing bogus names from noted issuers such as Citibank, American Express, Bank Bali, Unibank, and Bank International Indonesia were seized from them, spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said yesterday.

Police are still waiting for details of the financial losses from the Indonesian Credit Card Association.

"The three, who had been wanted by Interpol for credit card fraud since 1994, were busted in separate raids over the weekend in West Jakarta," said the officer.

The three worked in groups together with at least three other accomplices.

"Interpol officers nabbed one of the gang members, identified as Gareng, three years ago in a raid in Paris, France, but failed to handcuff the three men and at least two others, who apparently managed to run away," said Aritonang.

The police were still looking for the two men, who were identified by the suspects as Avon and Hary Agus Tumewu.

It was Indonesian Credit Card Association executives who tipped off the police about the unregistered cards being used by the three suspects, said Aritonang.

The police also received reports from several hotels Thursday saying that the credit cards used by the three men to pay the bills were all fake.

"One of the hotels, the Cempaka Hotel in West Jakarta, reported to a nearby police station that they had two guests who paid a bill worth more than Rp 1.5 million (US$566), including charges for call-girl services, with credit cards which looked strange to the hotel cashiers," he said.

Aritonang said the 15 fake credit cards were confiscated from Bambang and Yubianto, who were arrested Friday after the police had traced them for two days.

"The two surrendered after the police shot their car's wheel near the Mal Taman Anggrek in West Jakarta. Both had been trying to run away from police surveillance since they left a hotel in Cianjur, West Java," he said.

The other suspect, Robby, was arrested Saturday near the Lautze Hotel, also in West Jakarta.

During police questioning, the three claimed that the fake credit cards they used were produced by their other two accomplices who are still at large.

"They said bank insiders also supplied them with information on customers who had big amounts in their bank accounts," said Aritonang.

The names were then embossed on the bogus cards using different numbers, he said.

Police are still investigating the case to find out whether there are more suspects, including employees of certain banks, involved in the fraud, he said. (cst)