Two men accused of being part of a gang behind fraudulent attacks on automated teller machines (ATMs) in Georgetown have been refused bail, and were remanded to prison after their arraignment before Chief Magistrate (ag) Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in that Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
These two men, who each entered a not-guilty plea to the offence of conspiracy to commit a felony, are Bhojnarayan Gopaul, called ‘Sandeep,’ a 37-year-old resident of Coldingen, East Coast Demerara; and Tulsie Ramprashad, a 26-year-old resident of Parika, East Bank Essequibo.
The prosecutor emphasised that the Police are still looking for another suspect, who is thought to be the mastermind of the operation, and that the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court is currently hearing a similar case involving one of the accused.
As a result of the disclosures made in court, Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus remanded the two men, and scheduled their next court date at November 30.
After a report had been made that persons were targeting the ATMs of several commercial banks in the capital city, detectives of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters arrested Gopaul, a technician; Ramprashad, a welder/fabricator; and Akashmati Ramnaraine, a 37-year-old female resident of Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, who works as a Superbet cashier. The arrests, made at about 00:15h on Sunday, were effected after the trio, who were under surveillance, were observed visiting ATM outlets around the city.
They were first observed visiting the Citizens Bank ATM at the Giftland Mall at Turkeyen, ECD. Police have said the trio were in black Fielder Wagon PAE 364, driven at the time by Gopaul. Dressed in a black hoodie and red short pants, Ramprashad came out of the car and went into the ATM outlet, where he spent about 40 seconds before returning to the car.
The trio then left Giftland and went to the Citizens Bank ATM at OMG restaurant on Sheriff Street, Georgetown, where Ramprashad was again observed exiting the car and entering the ATM outlet, where he spent about 45 seconds before returning to the car.
At that point, the Police have said, detectives intercepted the car and carried out a search on the occupants, unearthing one Bank of America Visa Debit Card, one New York State Medicaid Recipient Card, and two blank cards.
Police investigations are ongoing.
