In a remarkable display of civic awareness, two observant friends in Mumbai played a crucial role in apprehending an international fraudster from Romania who was operating in the city's eastern suburbs. Their vigilance led to the arrest of Carivan Ayon Mariyan, a 50-year-old Romanian national involved in sophisticated ATM fraud operations.
The Suspicious Sighting Near Vikhroli Station
The incident dates back to November 11, 2018, when two friends were having their regular conversation near Vikhroli railway station. They noticed a man entering an ATM kiosk wearing a cap and mask, which immediately raised their suspicions. What made them more alert was their recollection that the same individual, identified as a foreign national, had visited the same ATM the previous day wearing identical face-covering attire.
According to banking security protocols, individuals are required to remove helmets and masks while using ATMs. However, this man continued to operate the machine without revealing his face, prompting the two friends to take immediate action. They contacted the police helpline to report their concerns about the suspicious activity.
The Police Intervention and Arrest
A beat constable who was patrolling nearby received the alert from the police helpline and quickly reached the ATM center while Mariyan was still inside. The friends' suspicions proved accurate when the man panicked upon seeing the police officer and attempted to flee the scene.
The constable successfully apprehended Mariyan, and subsequent search operations revealed shocking evidence. 53 cloned debit cards and Rs 3.71 lakh in cash were recovered from his possession. The investigation revealed that Mariyan was part of an international racket targeting unguarded ATM kiosks across Mumbai.
The Modus Operandi and Previous Crimes
Between 2016 and 2018, Mumbai police had encountered several Romanian nationals employing similar techniques for financial fraud. Mariyan's method involved installing skimming devices on ATMs that would secretly capture bank details and passwords of unsuspecting customers. These stolen credentials were then used to create cloned debit cards for unauthorized cash withdrawals.
Further investigation uncovered that Mariyan already had four criminal cases filed against him in Uttar Pradesh for identical crimes involving cloning of debit and credit cards. During the trial proceedings, while CCTV footage from the ATM wasn't produced as evidence, the court heavily relied on the testimony of the two eyewitnesses who had initially reported the suspicious activity.
The court noted that Mariyan failed to provide any reasonable explanation for possessing numerous debit cards belonging to Indian citizens. In 2020, he was convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including cheating and forgery, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. The magistrate court in Mumbai sentenced him to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for his crimes.
This case stands as a significant example of how public vigilance combined with prompt police action can effectively combat cyber-enabled financial crimes, even those involving international criminal networks operating within India.
