Extremists’ link in credit card fraud?

KOCHI: Police might have earlier brushed it aside as a case of forgery or theft.

But with more number of credit card fraud cases being reported in the state, involving persons from foreign countries, the state police have decided to conduct an in-depth probe giving more thrust to trace the involvement of extremist organisations behind these incidents.

Senior police officials said that a lot of fake credit card gangs were on the prowl in the state, the latest being the arrest of a six-member gang from Kannur.

“There are intelligence inputs confirming the presence of international rackets all across the country that use fake credit cards to raise money for the anti-national activities, including terrorist activities.

In almost all cases, Nigerians are being arrested and reports have pointed out that several international rackets are preferring Nigerians to other national as their agents,” the officials added.

Kannur Range IG Tomin J Thachankery said that they had launched a detailed investigation into the activities of the rackets that were caught from the state.

“We have successfully traced certain key links of the rackets to Mumbai. We have alerted the Mumbai police about the operation of various international rackets, which are concentrated at Muhammed Ali Road in Mumbai and having extended its network to Kerala,” he said.

“As per our investigation, these rackets are simultaneously into drug trade and hawala transactions. The members of the racket are being brought into the country by certain tainted organisation after offering huge remuneration and free air tickets. The rackets only use the credit cards details hacked from the United States and the United Kingdom. The main purpose of this is to raise maximum money ranging between Rs one lakh and Rs three lakh in a single attempt,” he added.

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