Fw: Beware the Latin-nail ruse

Subject: Fwd: Beware the Latin-nail ruse

Beware the Latin-nail ruse

By shaza

Created Thursday, October 6th, Malay Mail

G. Prakash [1]

Thursday, October 6th, 2011 11:12:00

FROM stealing luggages and personal belongings at hotels and airports, Latin American criminals are now preying on bank customers.

[2]

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: These sequence shots show a woman and a man, believed to be Latin American, going into a coffee shop in a hotel before leaving with valuables, including a purse, which the victims left on their tables while they went to get food from the buffet counter. The ‘Latino’ criminals, who were smartly dressed, coolly walked out of the hotel minutes later. These pictures were published by The Malay Mail in 2009 --- Pic: SHAHIR OMAR

The ploy is simple: a nail, such as this one, is placed under the tyre of a vehicle belonging to a bank customer who has just made a big withdrawal.

When the victim drives off, the criminal would ‘alert’ him of his punctured tyre.

On the pretext of helping, the criminals would grab the money left inside the car while the victim changes the tyre.

Latino crooks nailed

Syndicate used Good Samaritan trick to dupe bank customers

[3]

TRICKS OF THE TRADE: Ku (right) and other officers inspecting the handphones and laptops recovered from the Ampang house

KUALA LUMPUR: From luggage and jewellery thefts, and luxury house burglaries, Latin American crooks have turned their sights on robbing bank customers after withdrawing large amounts of money — just by using a nail.

City police were probing an international racket believed to be involved in similar cases in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, said its CID chief, Datuk Ku Chin Wah.

“We have so far arrested five male Latin Americans whom we believe are involved in this syndicate.”

Police are also looking for two female accomplices and eight other Latin Americans, believed to be involved in at least five cases in the city, with a loot totalling RM600,000 in cash. The suspects are from Peru, Guatemala and Venezuela.

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Explaining their modus operandi, Ku said the suspects, working in a group of five, would scout banks.

“One of them would be a woman, the only one who will enter the bank.”

He said the female members would usually dressed in baju kurung and headscarf to allay any suspicion on their activity.

“They would usually observe ATM machines and bank counters looking for customers taking out large amounts of money.”

Her accomplices outside would also spot potential targets.

“They would be looking for rich people entering the bank and also see where potential victims parked their cars. If a target entered the bank, one them would inform the woman inside,” said Ku.

When the victim was about to leave, she would notify her accomplices who would place a specially mounted nail under the car tyre of their target.

Ku said as soon as the victim tried to drive off, the tyre would be punctured by the nail and one of the Latin Americans would inform the car owner about it.

“On the pretext of helping, the suspects would wait for the right moment to steal the money the victim had just cashed out from the bank. They usually took the money kept in the car when the victim was changing the tyre.”

Ku said a six-men special task force that had been tracking the suspects for a month got a break when two male suspects were arrested near a bank in Jalan Ipoh on Sept 30.

“We believed they were in the midst of targeting a victim.”

Police subsequently raided a house in Ampang where three other male suspects were detained, and four laptops, a knife, eight handphones, three branded watches and a digital camera were seized.

The male suspects, aged 40 to 56 years, are from Peru and Venezuela, while their female accomplice, who is still at large, is from Guatemala.

Police are also still looking for eight Latin American men and two women from the same syndicate.

Ku said: “We believe the syndicate works in three groups and the other groups are operating in Penang and Johor.” The five detained are also involved in a robbery case at a café in Ampang.

“One of the suspects has an arrest warrant for not appearing in Ampang court, after he was released on police bail.”

They've struck before

THE Malay Mail had highlighted Latin American syndicates targeting hotel guests and making off with their belongings in 2008.

There were also break-ins of high-end homes, where female syndicate members would ring the doorbell to find out if they were occupied or not.

In July 2009, the Latinos struck again after laying low for almost a year. This time, posing as hotel guests or tour agents to target five-star hotel guests.

On July 15 that year, a group of three to two males and a female accomplice made off with a luggage belonging to a guest whom they followed as their act was caught on CCTV.

The syndicate also struck at hotel coffee houses and conference rooms, making off with laptops, digital cameras, purses, handbags and luggage.

Earlier in April that year, Korean national Kevin Kee Bung Rhee, 46, lost his laptop, PDA and camera to a Latin American man when he was at the check-in counter of Petaling Jaya Hilton.

There were also reports of Latin Americans involved in jewelery thefts. On July 6 last year, a tray of diamonds worth more than RM500,000 went missing from a jewellery shop during a sale in Ampang.

They were taken out from the display counter believed to be by a group of South Americans who earlier requested to have a closer look at them.

Last November, police arrested four suspects, aged 25 to 44, for a burglary in Ukay Heights. The suspects also revealed involvement in three other burglaries reported since last year.