Just weeks after the biggest ATM heist by Chinese nationals, more than Rs 15 million has been stolen from the Agricultural Development Bank Ltd (ADBL). But the Police arrested a dozen youth for their alleged involvement in masterminding this huge financial racket.
Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) Teku today revealed that a foreign national residing in India had been planning – for a considerable time – to steal over Rs 5 billion from various banks and financial institutions of Nepal via hacking, and using Nepalis. According to the Police, Peter – also known as Kale –currently residing in Mumbai of India has been involved in masterminding the huge financial racket with the help of Nepali nationals. “We have arrested some twelve persons for their alleged involvement in the case,” the Police said, adding that a special investigation team from MPCD arrested them from various areas within and outside Kathmandu Valley. “They were involved in stealing the money through the process of ‘credential hacking’ from various banks and financial institutions, including Agricultural Development Bank and Panas Remit,” the Police confirmed, identifying the arrestees as Lawang Tamang (43) of Meghang Rural Municipality-4 of Nuwakot district; Sanjay Ghale of Kavresthali, Tarkeshwar Municipality-2 in Kathmandu; Laxmi Lama Tamang (40), Nirmala Tamang (20), Nima Tamang (18), all from Naukunda Rural Municipality-5 of Rasuwa; Pushparaj Khadka (42) of Hariban Municipality-2 in Sarlahi; Bidyasagar Lamichhane (23) of Dordi Rural Municipality-3 in Lamjung; Shravan Kumar Shrestha (38) of Bhanu Municipality-9 in Tanahun; Sunita Shrestha (32) of Thimi Municipality-4 in Bhaktapur; Shubankar Panja (30), permanent resident of Kolkata in India, currently residing in Tebahal, Kathmandu; Bijay Sah (22), and Chandara Bahadur Budha (45), both from Bhajani Municipality in Kailali district.
According to the Police, the preliminary investigation indicates that a sum of Rs 47,396,000 was hacked from Agricultural Development Bank Ltd (ADBL). Likewise, a sum of Rs 1,200,000 was stolen from Panas Remit in New Baneshwar.
Spokesperson at the ADBL head office in Kathmandu Him Lal Poudel, however, claimed that the incident occurred due to misuse of password. He suspected that it was not a case of hacking. “The amount stolen by the perpetrators ranged between Rs 15 million and Rs 20 million,” he said adding that the bank has started an internal investigation into the incident alongside police.
“Further investigation is going on to determine the total amount hacked,” the Police also informed, disclosing that Peter used to contact the Nepalis, call them to India for meetings, and then asked them to carry out the fraud offering commission ranging from 15 per cent to 35 per cent. “Peter then made them send the remaining sum to India via hundi.”
Suspecting the illegal transactions on September 22, staffers of Panas Remit asked the Police to investigate, which led to the arrest of 12 Nepalis.
Some Rs 6 million has been collected by different people in a day from the financial institution. The remittance sender was shown to be the same person, an employee of the company, which has raised suspicion that someone has hacked the employee’s account to send the same sum of money multiple times. “The Police started a full-fledged investigation after the staffers from the Panas Remit complained of the suspicious transactions,” the Police said, adding that the same mastermind also manipulated user-id and IP address of Agricultural Development Bank Ltd (ADBL) to transfer the money into the accounts of 11 different persons. “Further investigation into the case is going on.”
Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) Teku today revealed that a foreign national residing in India had been planning – for a considerable time – to steal over Rs 5 billion from various banks and financial institutions of Nepal via hacking, and using Nepalis. According to the Police, Peter – also known as Kale –currently residing in Mumbai of India has been involved in masterminding the huge financial racket with the help of Nepali nationals. “We have arrested some twelve persons for their alleged involvement in the case,” the Police said, adding that a special investigation team from MPCD arrested them from various areas within and outside Kathmandu Valley. “They were involved in stealing the money through the process of ‘credential hacking’ from various banks and financial institutions, including Agricultural Development Bank and Panas Remit,” the Police confirmed, identifying the arrestees as Lawang Tamang (43) of Meghang Rural Municipality-4 of Nuwakot district; Sanjay Ghale of Kavresthali, Tarkeshwar Municipality-2 in Kathmandu; Laxmi Lama Tamang (40), Nirmala Tamang (20), Nima Tamang (18), all from Naukunda Rural Municipality-5 of Rasuwa; Pushparaj Khadka (42) of Hariban Municipality-2 in Sarlahi; Bidyasagar Lamichhane (23) of Dordi Rural Municipality-3 in Lamjung; Shravan Kumar Shrestha (38) of Bhanu Municipality-9 in Tanahun; Sunita Shrestha (32) of Thimi Municipality-4 in Bhaktapur; Shubankar Panja (30), permanent resident of Kolkata in India, currently residing in Tebahal, Kathmandu; Bijay Sah (22), and Chandara Bahadur Budha (45), both from Bhajani Municipality in Kailali district.
According to the Police, the preliminary investigation indicates that a sum of Rs 47,396,000 was hacked from Agricultural Development Bank Ltd (ADBL). Likewise, a sum of Rs 1,200,000 was stolen from Panas Remit in New Baneshwar.
Spokesperson at the ADBL head office in Kathmandu Him Lal Poudel, however, claimed that the incident occurred due to misuse of password. He suspected that it was not a case of hacking. “The amount stolen by the perpetrators ranged between Rs 15 million and Rs 20 million,” he said adding that the bank has started an internal investigation into the incident alongside police.
“Further investigation is going on to determine the total amount hacked,” the Police also informed, disclosing that Peter used to contact the Nepalis, call them to India for meetings, and then asked them to carry out the fraud offering commission ranging from 15 per cent to 35 per cent. “Peter then made them send the remaining sum to India via hundi.”
Suspecting the illegal transactions on September 22, staffers of Panas Remit asked the Police to investigate, which led to the arrest of 12 Nepalis.
Some Rs 6 million has been collected by different people in a day from the financial institution. The remittance sender was shown to be the same person, an employee of the company, which has raised suspicion that someone has hacked the employee’s account to send the same sum of money multiple times. “The Police started a full-fledged investigation after the staffers from the Panas Remit complained of the suspicious transactions,” the Police said, adding that the same mastermind also manipulated user-id and IP address of Agricultural Development Bank Ltd (ADBL) to transfer the money into the accounts of 11 different persons. “Further investigation into the case is going on.”
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