Police bust fake credit card racket

KATHMANDU, Dec 11 - One Chinese and two Malaysians buying expensive watches, jewelry, cell phones and other branded items at a premier shopping complex in Kathmandu got busted when a credit card they produced was rejected by the transaction machine, Saturday.
Alerted by the group's lavish shopping spree, a person at the counter at Bluebird shopping complex at Tripureswor promptly informed the police. Police had earlier circulated notice that forged credit card crime was on the rise in Kathmandu.

Subsequently, Metropolitan Police Range Office, Kathmandu arrested the three, and another Malaysian from a hotel at Lazimpat. A Nepali accomplice was later arrested from her apartment.
According to Sarbendra Khanal, chief of Metropolitan Police, Kathmandu, police first arrested Yao Jingyang and his Malaysian accomplices Achhanan Paidiya and Mukundan Ramana from the shopping complex. Later
police seized Benni Singh
Khing Hul, also a Malaysian, from Gangjong Hotel. A Nepali, Dhan Maya Rai, was arrested from Chabahil.
Four of the accused came to Nepal from Singapore Thursday, apparently to buy luxury items through their unscrupulous means, police said.
Police have recovered 17 ATM cards and 15 credit cards, besides a large number of exclusive items the arrested purchased with the help of the forged cards. The recovered items include newly-bought gold jewelry, Omega, Rolex, Tourbillion and Titan brand wristwatches, mobile phones, iPods and digital cameras.
After preliminary investigation, police said the arrested were found to have purchased articles worth
Rs 724,557 through various
shopping outlets that accept credit cards recognized by Alpine Card Service. Police have also recovered US dollars 1,723, Rs 15,410 and Malaysian Ringitt 254.
"Acting on a special tip-off we deputed plain clothes police at various ATM card centers and shopping outlets where people swipe their credit cards," said SP Khanal. "All the arrested have admitted that they were using forged cards."
Experts say that thieves often rifle through trashcans behind shops or restaurants for the carbons behind the receipts.