BANGKOK, Jan 14 (TNA) - A Malaysian wanted by the United States authorities for credit card fraud was apprehended in Thailand on Wednesday, after cooperation between the US authorities and the Thai police, according to the National Police Bureau's Crime Suppression Division (CSD).

Pol. Col. Supisan Pakdeenaruanaj, CSD Deputy Commander, said 40-year old Malaysian Cooi Kok Seng, charged by US officials with skimming and stealing credit card data from cardholders, was arrested in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok.

He was allegedly a member of a credit card hacking gang in the US, a crime group with at least 10 members which has been committing credit card theft for over three years.

Col. Supisan said Cooi Kok Seng and his gang had stolen credit card information and 16-digit numbers from victims credit cards when they patronised restaurants and major department stores or retail outlets in the US such as Wal-Mart. They then sold the data to Asian gangs to make counterfeited cards which they sold to their customers.

In some cases, the Malaysian suspect himself produced the artificial cards to buy goods, he said. His crime had caused over US$150 million in damages.

However, after his apprehension, Cooi Kok Seng denied any wrongdoing. After committing his crime in the US and American authorities issuing an arrest warrant for him, he fled to Thailand where he was living with his Thai wife in Nonthaburi.

US police agents followed his tracks to Thailand, and asked for cooperation from the Thai police to arrest him.

Under the US arrest warrant, the Malaysian was accused of conspiring with his gang to use devices to illegally skim credit card holders' information, selling such electronic devices, illegally possessing the equipment and accessing the card and personal information without permission.

The prosecutor was scheduled to file charges against him and the criminal court will rule on whether to extradite the defendant to the US at the request of the US government.



MCOT English News : Malaysian gang member arrested for US credit card fraud