Two men who employed cash trap devices at ATMs to steal customer withdrawals have been sentenced to a total of four years and six months in prison by the Inner London Crown Court.
Sebastian Vizir, 35, and Lucian Martinica, 29, both from Harrow, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal after an investigation by the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), a police unit funded by the banking and finance industry.
The cash trap device was inserted into the ATM dispenser, allowing the criminals to trap cash when unsuspecting customers attempted to make withdrawals. They would then return to the ATM to collect both the device and the trapped money.
The duo targeted cash machines in areas across north and west London, as well as Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, and Northampton, stealing more than £20,000 in cash and causing £60,000 worth of damage to the machines while retrieving their ill-gotten gains.
The fraud was detected by bank staff, who escalated the issue to the DCPCU. CCTV footage from the ATMs helped identify Vizir and Martinica in multiple cash trapping incidents.
A search at one of their homes revealed several cash trap devices in various states of preparation, along with materials and tools for creating more traps.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Robinson, head of the DCPCU, stated, “This sentencing serves as a warning to anyone thinking they can profit from fraud that they will be caught and face consequences.”