The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has reinforced the investigation of suspected East European nationals, following the spike in ATM fraud incidents in the Kathmandu Valley, reports The Himalayan Times. The investigation is mainly focused on the nationals from Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria.

CIB spokesperson SP Jeevan Shrestha revealed that, as many as 18 foreigners — four Romanians, four Turkish, four Bulgarians, four Moldavians and two Indians — involved in ATM fraud have been arrested from Kathmandu over a period of two-and-a-half years. They were found to be stealing sums of up to Rs. 8.86 million and 1326 ATM cards.

Many others are suspected to have managed to leave Kathmandu with tens of millions of rupees they withdrew from ATMs before the concerned banks and police got any clue.

CIB’s investigation comes following a surge in ATM card skimming frauds involving foreign nationals linked with international syndicate of debit card information theft and withdrawal of cash from the bank accounts of depositors. A police official said that surveillance of suspected foreigners arriving in Kathmandu on a tourist visa has begun right from the immigration point at Tribhuvan International Airport.

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