Three Russians arrested in Phuket for card skimming

[Lite Beer]

Three Russians arrested in Phuket for card skimming
Tanyaluk Sakoot

From left: Stanislav Komarov, 34, Vitalii Korobkov, 39, and Pantell Acbas, 36.

Phuket: Three members of a Russian skimming gang were presented to Phuket media today following their arrests yesterday (March 5). They were arrested after Kasikorn Bank became suspicious of credit card payments being made via two shops in the Patak area of Karon and informed police.

It is understood that the three men, named as Stanislav Komarov, 34, Vitalii Korobko, 39, and Pantell Acbas, 36, had attempted to make credit card purchases totalling between B300,000 to B400,000 from “Maringa” and “Thai Herbal” in Patak, Karon, businesses which were registered to a Vladimir Orlov.

Because the transactions amounted to such a large amount, Kasikorn Bank̕s money laundering crime and security department became suspicious and provided police with details of the shops the transactions went through.

When investigators arrived at Maringa, they found that although the shop was empty the electricity inside was on and they therefore believed somebody was inside.

Police staked out the shop and after a while Stanislav emerged and walked towards a car parked nearby. Police stopped the him at the car and found Pantell sitting inside. When police searched a bag Stanilav was carrying they found inside 33 credit cards, two credit card machines, a card copying machine and notebook computer.

The police took the man back to the shop and there they found Vitalii.

Stansilav and Vitalii told police they had only been in Phuket a few months, but Pantell said he had been here for about one year.

When asked about the cards, Stansilav said that he received the cards from someone else and was not responsible for printing them.

Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Prawit Engchuan said that it is possible that they bought the card details from a third-party and that they may well have not printed the cards themselves. However, they will investigate further to find out the truth.

Police are currently looking for Vladimir Orlov, who the two shops are believed to be owned by. Provincial Police CommanderPol Maj Gen Patchara Boonyasit told the press today, “We are doing our best to find Vladimir Orlov and find out his exact connection with these three men.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/three-russians-arrested-in-phuket-for-card-skimming-51291.php

-- Phuket News 2015-03-06

[kingalfred]

Ah the russians in Phuket. Their home country's economy tanking and what legal work can Russians do in Thailand. Either Prostitution or financial scams!

[srchino]

300,000-400,000THB? That's like 57 Billion Russian Rubles!!

[Braddockrd]

Further investigation is always a good thing

[masuk]

You mean the 90-day reporting failed to detect these guys?

Isn't this the reason we have to report every 90 days?? To catch the criminals.

[96tehtarp]

The OP reads for me as if everything worked the way it was supposed to. The banks fraud radar caught the suspicious transactions and they alerted the police. The police made a stake-out and nabbed the bad guys. Well done.

I can't help but wonder if the transactions would have been less suspicious looking to the bank if the business was registered to a Thai instead of an Orlov.

Edited March 7, 2015 by 96tehtarp

[kingalfred]

You mean the 90-day reporting failed to detect these guys?

Isn't this the reason we have to report every 90 days?? To catch the criminals.

the idea behind 90 days reporting has long gone. Like everything else it's "something which has to be done because its the law". PS. Too many cheap aeroflot flights to Bangkok now. Edited March 7, 2015 by kingalfred

[godden]

Really sick of reading about scum like this, slow torture would get my vote.

[does]

You often read about this skimming scam, but never about convictions. Do these guys get jail time or are they just deported?

[BudfahRuksa]

Can some of the more knowledgeable /senior members enlighten me to what will now happen to these crims?..Jail time in a Bangkok prison? For How long? Will they be then deported? Never to return? Sure hope so..theyre(Russians) bad news from what I hear/read

Edited March 7, 2015 by BudfahRuksa

[maidee]

could it possibly be that the cards were supplied by a thai in some matter ? how do those guys pass customs with hundreds of empty cards on them ?

[CapeThai]

Why is the two Ruskies wearing blue shirts staring at the one with the white shirt ? Is it him maybe f***ed up their venture ? He does look a bit guilty of something ? ?

[mikiea]

300,000-400,000THB? That's like 57 Billion Russian Rubles!!

a little more than that, just checked the exchange rate, its eleventyseven-ka-billion, a tad bit more than 57 billion :-)

[CapeThai]

Ah the russians in Phuket. Their home country's economy tanking and what legal work can Russians do in Thailand. Either Prostitution or financial scams!

They can bring their young and single sisters over here for us to enjoy to start with....

[Mausgras]

Criminal scum like these give all Russian visitors a bad name.

[Chicken George]

If guilty may they rot in The Bangkok Hilton for years to come! Scum

[Lekong]

300,000-400,000THB? That's like 57 Billion Russian Rubles!!

I thought 1 baht=1.85 ruble? How comes 300000-400000 could be 57 billion rubles??????????????

[stevenl]

The OP reads for me as if everything worked the way it was supposed to. The banks fraud radar caught the suspicious transactions and they alerted the police. The police made a stake-out and nabbed the bad guys. Well done.

I can't help but wonder if the transactions would have been less suspicious looking to the bank if the business was registered to a Thai instead of an Orlov.

Judging from a similar report a few months back, where the shop was Thai owned: no, same result.

[FiestyFarang]

You mean the 90-day reporting failed to detect these guys?

Isn't this the reason we have to report every 90 days?? To catch the criminals.

Maybe some criminals decide not to report if they think they are wanted!

Now it can be done online so much better looking forward to doing it for the first time.

[tragickingdom]

You mean the 90-day reporting failed to detect these guys?

Isn't this the reason we have to report every 90 days?? To catch the criminals.

You must be a very naif man, as if any criminal would report like you.

[KarenBravo]

300,000-400,000THB? That's like 57 Billion Russian Rubles!!

a little more than that, just checked the exchange rate, its eleventyseven-ka-billion, a tad bit more than 57 billion :-)

Errrrm no. Do you know how to do a conversion?

400,000 Bt = 742,000 Russian roubles.

[angsta]

Stanislav Komarov and Vitalii Korobko are solid Russian sounding names.

[masuk]

You mean the 90-day reporting failed to detect these guys?

Isn't this the reason we have to report every 90 days?? To catch the criminals.

You must be a very naif man, as if any criminal would report like you.

It's an English language thing called sardonic or sarcasm.

BTW. the word you were looking for was probably 'naive'.

[mango66]

Criminal scum like these give all Russian visitors a bad name.

please show up with the good ones !!

[raphoedon]

The rewards must out way the risk or these guys wouldn't keep coming to Thailand.

The penalties should be stiffer and more widely known.

[Larry001]

Good job by the Kasikorn Bank. Hope these guys enjoy many years in a Thai jail...Scumbags...

[Larry001]

300,000-400,000THB? That's like 57 Billion Russian Rubles!!

a little more than that, just checked the exchange rate, its eleventyseven-ka-billion, a tad bit more than 57 billion :-)

Errrrm no. Do you know how to do a conversion?

400,000 Bt = 742,000 Russian roubles.

KarenBravo; correct. At this moment 400,000 = 741730.77 Makes me wonder about some people on this forum

[louse1953]

could it possibly be that the cards were supplied by a thai in some matter ? how do those guys pass customs with hundreds of empty cards on them ?

That's it maidee,slip a Thai into the mix.Have you been through customs,could smuggle an elephant in,if i could find a bag big enough.Every heard of the old fashioned postal service?

[mongoose11]

Guilty or not. I'd hate to have my mugshot posted... Here.

[MRDave]

In all the countries in the World to do crime Thailand isn't it, and since someone defrauded one of my credit cards last week I hope they get what they deserve. I bet they have no clue what misery awaits.

Edited March 7, 2015 by MRDave