Two remanded, mastermind on the run

Nov 02, 2023 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

ATM fraud…

Kaieteur News – An individual, who is said to be the mastermind behind fraudulent attacks on Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) in the city last weekend, is on the run, whilst two men who were part of the operation were remanded on Wednesday following appearances at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court where charges of conspiracy to defraud were read to them.

Remanded, Tulsie Ramprasad

Remanded, Bhojnarine Gopaul

Thirty-seven-year-old Bhojnarine Gopaul called ‘Sandeep,’ a technician of Coldingen, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and 26-year-old Tulsie Ramprasad a welder fabricator of East Bank Essequibo (EBE), both appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, where the charges were read to them. They both pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor highlighted that the police are still seeking another suspect who is said to be the mastermind of the operation. The prosecution said too that one of the defendants has an ongoing matter of the similar nature which is to be heard at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court. Consequently, Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus remanded the duo. The next court date is set for November 30, 2023.

Police related that on October 29, 2023, acting on information received, the accused went to the Citizen’s Bank ATM machine at OMG on Sheriff Street where ranks observed Rampersaud, exiting a motor vehicle bearing registration PAE 364 and walking towards the machine.

He spent at about 40 seconds at the machine and then returned to the vehicle. Police then approached the men and asked to conduct a search. The vehicle was occupied by Gopaul and Ramprasad along with a female, 37-year-old Akashmati Ramnarine , a Superbet cashier.

Searches were conducted on Gopaul, who was found with two cell phones, and $11,100 cash. A further search was carried out on the vehicle, where ranks discovered one red Debit card, one white and blue New York State Medicaid card, along with two blank cards with magnetic strips. The trio was then told of the offence committed, cautioned and then arrested.

When ranks cautioned Ramprasad, he reportedly told them, “I didn’t steal no money a man give me the bank card and ask me if I can take out the money.”

The trio was then escorted to the Criminal Investigative Department (CID). During the investigation ranks were able to get information from Gopaul; this was kept on an audio record.

Kaieteur News reported last Sunday that late on Saturday night, the lawmen trailed the trio to a Citizen Bank’s ATM machine at Giftland Mall. There, they saw Rampersaud stepping out of the car dressed in a black ‘hoodie’ and red short pants. He went to the ATM and spent about 40 seconds before returning to the car. They were arrested following their trip to the Sheriff Street ATM.

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ATM Scammers, Bhojnarine Gopaul, blank cards, jail, remanded, Tulsie Ramprasad

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