CHIBA (TR) – Chiba Prefectural Police have arrested two women in the quick-strike theft of nearly two billion yen from ATMs nationwide last year, reports TV Asahi (Sept. 1).
Police arrested Ai Kirisawa and Ami Yamamoto for allegedly using forged credit cards in the withdrawal of 2.1 million yen from ATMs at convenience stores in Tomisato City on May 15, 2016.
According to the Kisarazu Police Station, Kirisawa and Yamamoto both admit to the allegations. Yamamoto told police that Kirisawa asked her if she wanted to partake in the caper.
The suspects are considered a part of a gang of thieves that used similarly forged credit cards with data leaked from a bank in South Africa to steal approximately 1.86 billion yen from ATMs nationwide in 2.5 hours on that same day.
The gang targeted more than 1,400 ATMs in convenience stores in 17 administrative districts, including Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka.
Police have previously arrested more than 170 persons in the case, including members of six criminal syndicates.
