Two foreign nationals have been sentenced to two years’ hard labour for fraud.
The accused—SIMON EDUARDO FARIAS ROMERO, a Venezuelan national, and FRANCISCO JAVIER GIL RIVERA a Mexican national—both appeared before Her Worship Adia Mohammed on Tuesday 11 February 2020.
They pleaded guilty to the charge of trafficking in counterfeit cards.
Reports are that on Sunday 15 December 2019, officers attached to the Fraud Squad Automated Banking Machine (ABM) task force were on ABM patrol and surveillance duties in the Northern Division when based on intelligence received, had cause to pay special attention to the Scotiabank ATM located at Trincity Mall.
There, police found two men tampering with the machine, whom they immediately arrested.
A search warrant was later executed at Tony’s Guest House located at Papnis Drive in Petit Valley, where the suspects were staying. Police found and seized an additional 14 cards, all of which bore banking information belonging to citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
The men were charged on Tuesday 17 December 2019, with trafficking in counterfeit cards.
