Romanian police are claiming a major victory after arresting half the members of an organized crime group they believe was responsible for stealing $15 million from bank ATMs via cloned cards.
The Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) claimed in a press release on Sunday that cops raided 42 houses across Bucharest, Bîrlad, Bacau, Pitesti, Galati and Constanta in a bid to dismantle the major cybercrime and money laundering group.
It arrested 25 of the 52 Romanian and foreign nationals it believes were responsible for the operation, carried out between February and December 2013.
The ringleaders hacked into the computer systems of banks in the US territory of Puerto Rico and Oman, obtaining card data belonging to major corporations which they used to create clones and distributed them to members of the group.
These people then used the cards to withdraw cash from ATMs in 24 countries, including Japan, the UK, Germany, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Russia.
Over 34,000 separate withdrawals were apparently made in a systematic manner.
On 2 December 2013, for example, the group made 4,200 withdrawals in 15 Romanian cities totaling $5m, while on 20 February the same year, $9m was withdrawn in Japan.
The police raid in Romania revealed 16 laptops and mobile phones the authorities believe were used in 'criminal activity,' as well as 2kg gold ingots, paintings, and €150,000 ($165,000).
The ring leaders are also thought to have invested some of their money in property.
Despite its reputation as a European backwater, Romania has a burgeoning hi-tech and start-up sector and a rapidly expanding fiber broadband network. Firms like Bucharest-based AV company Bitdefender are blazing the trail.
The country’s cyber cops are also highly skilled, according to reports.
They contribute around 20% of Europol’s cyber defense experts, according to a recent article on Romania-Insider which quotes Europol director Rob Wainright as claiming their expertise is “extraordinary.”