7 of gang that encashed forged cheques for Dh4m arrested in Ajman
Suspects forged 89 cheques of government and private establishments to illegally withdraw money
Ajman: The Ajman Police have arrested seven persons of a nine-member gang involved in illegal withdrawal of money through forged cheques in the name of government and private establishments.
The suspects, who are of Arab nationalities, forged and encashed cheques for over Dh4 million and transferred the money outside the country, officials said.
Two of them are still on the run and arrest warrants have been issued to Interpol to track them down.
The details of the case were unveiled at a press conference by Colonel Abdullah Al Hamrani, Deputy Chief of Ajman Police, and Colonel Abdullah Saif Al Matroushi, Directror of Criminal and Investigation Department.
The suspects were arrested in an operation titled ‘Lines of Justice’.
Col. Al Matroushi said on February 10, the police received a complaint from a local bank that a huge amount of money was withdrawn from accounts of the government and private companies through fake cheques using electronic clearing service (an electronic mode of funds transfer from one bank account to another).
The complaint said that two persons deposited six fake cheques worth Dh772,000.
This amount was deposited in the local bank account of a gang member who was outside the country.
A police team was formed to investigate the case.
Police found that the person who deposited the cheques was not the accountholder. Police investigations revealed that an organised gang was behind the crime and they were operating inside and outside the country.
Explaining the modus operandi, Col. Al Matroushi said the gang members came on visit visas and got employment visas later and opened bank accounts. The suspects confessed that they copied cheques issued by government departments and private companies in Ajman and send them to their accomplices in an Arab country to forge them. They would receive the forged cheques by courier and encash them in Ajman.
In this manner, the gang had forged 89 cheques and withdrawn Dh4,359,300 from the accounts of government departments and private companies.
Also, a huge amount of money was transferred outside the country, the official said. It is not immediately clear how the suspects got hold of the cheques issued by government departments and companies. The suspects had carried out the fraud for months.
