A Venezuelan and a Mexican have been sentenced to two years’ hard labour for trafficking in counterfeit cards.
Simon Eduardo Farias Romero, a Venezuelan national, and Francisco Javier Gil Rivera, a Mexican national, appeared in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Adia Mohammed on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to the charge of trafficking in counterfeit cards.
A release from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) stated that on December 15, 2019, officers of the Fraud Squad Automated Banking Machine (ABM) task force led by Cpl Nowbutt and under the supervision of ASP Julien were on ABM patrol and surveillance duties in the Northern Division.
It stated that based on intelligence they paid special attention to the Scotiabank ATM located at Trincity Mall where they found two men tampering with the machine. The men were arrested.
A search warrant was executed at Tony’s Guest house located at Papnis Drive, Petit Valley, where the suspects were staying and 14 cards were found and seized.
These cards were all bearing banking information of citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. The men were charged on December 17, 2019.
