Police: Jail terms will warn foreign fraudsters

Prison sentences for two Romanian men convicted of fraud involving automatic teller machines send a clear message to overseas crime groups, police say.

Marcel Cismas, 35, and Alexandru Tudor, 24, were each jailed for two years and three months when they appeared in the Auckland District Court on Thursday.

They will be deported once they complete their prison terms.

Cismas and Tudor were arrested in January after Auckland detectives investigated skimming offences in Rotorua, central Auckland and Orewa. The offences occurred after the pair's arrival in New Zealand on January 9 and 16 respectively.

They were each convicted of two charges relating to the use of electronic devices on ATMs and retrieving card data from a machine and distributing the information to associates overseas.

Detective Michael Knighton, from the financial crime unit, said the sentences sent a clear message to foreign-based organised crime groups contemplating travelling to New Zealand to commit ATM fraud.

"Such criminals face a high risk of detection by police and other authorities in New Zealand," he said.

"Once detected, they will be prosecuted and custodial sentences will always be sought and served before they are deported."

Mr Knighton, who was in charge of the investigation involving Cismas and Tudor, said they were part of an international operation run from Romania.

- NZPA