PHUKET - Five French nationals have been arrested on charges of using forged ATM cards to withdraw money from several machines on this resort island, police said on Tuesday.
Kevin Tahiango Theodore Okito, 29, Mel Duval Poaty, 29, Accel Jonathan Poaty Pambou, 26, Samir Maruof, 29, and Jessy Bianvenu Vincence, 33, were captured by Phuket police on Saturday and presented at a press conference on Tuesday.
Phuket police chief Pol Maj Gen Pachara Bunyasit said they were arrested while trying to use fake ATM cards at a machine at a convenience store in Kathu district. A search at their house in Muang district found 13 more forged ATM cards, a notebook computer and three flash drives.
A sixth member of the gang was on the run, he added.
The arrests followed an alert from Siam Commercial Bank that a group of foreigners had been using fake ATM cards at several machines since Feb 22. Police kept an eye on potential suspects and finally caught them red-handed.
He said Interpol has issued a red alert for Mr Okito, indicating he was wanted under an arrest warrant issued in another country. He did not give further details.