Police arrest Eftpos thieves

Three Canadian citizens face charges following the theft of Eftpos pin-pads in Auckland.

The three men appeared in Auckland District Court yesterday charged with participating in an organised criminal group after being arrested by the Auckland police's financial crime unit on Wednesday.

They were remanded in custody until July 22.

The joint police and Customs Service investigation was launched around Auckland after one of the main providers of the Eftpos devices notified police that 11 of their units had been stolen.

Police said the pin-pads were recovered between June 24 and July 11.

Auckland police communications manager Noreen Hegarty said the co-operation between the customs and police had led to the swift arrests.

Inquiries into the latest offences continue with assistance of Interpol and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Ms Hegarty said recent Australian media reports have included New Zealand when naming Australia as a soft target for "Eftpos compromise". But, Auckland police financial crime unit officers said this was not the case.

She said "numerous arrests" made by police over ATM skimming over the past few years had prevented attempts to commit Eftpos offences in New Zealand, and police would continue to target ATM and Eftpos fraud offenders.

Though Victorian police said in a newspaper people should use cash or sign transactions instead of using their PINs, Ms Hegarty said New Zealand Eftpos providers have advised police that the technology in their pin-pads is superior to that used overseas.

- NZPA



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