Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr K.Zarbaliyeva / As a result of operative search operations of the employees of Azerbaijani National Security Ministry, trans-national criminal group was neutralized. According to the Centre of Public Relations of the National Security Ministry, the members of the criminal group using special equipment of SKIMMER made in Bulgaria which is connected up to the keyboard of cash machines were making copies of electronic information (PIN-code and account number) and sending them abroad. On the basis of that information the members of the group operating abroad developed some 250 duplicates of plastic cards and delivered them to an Israel citizen, Vladislav Basin.
The total amount of the damage caused to Azerbaijani citizens made up over AZN 80,000.
According to the Ministry, the group included Vladislav Basin, Azerbaijani citizens, Fakhraddin Suleymanov and Shahin Maharramov, the head of the Khyrdlan department of the International Bank of Azerbaijan, Bashir Hajiyev, and others.
Using fake cards the foreign members of the group drew out different amounts of money from Azerbaijani banks in Baku, Spain, Latvia, and Lithuania.
On 6 May 2007, Vladislav Basin arrived in Baku from Tel-Aviv in order to discuss the setting up of new SKIMMER equipment. The photo pictures of the most modern cash machines of Baku were transmitted abroad.
It has been revealed that in the November of 2006 Shahin Maharramov introduced Baku residents Nazim Narimanov, former officer, and Mammad Hasanov to Vladislav Basin and other members of the group. Basin gave several fake plastic cards to his new friends. Narimanov and Hasanov agreed to assist in transportation of fake cards to Azerbaijan. For this purpose they received US $1,200.
One SKIMMER set and 216 fake plastic cards were revealed in the flat of the members of the criminal group.
Corresponding organizations of the countries jointly investigate the case.
A criminal case was filed at Central Investigation Department of the National Security Ministry in compliance with Articles 271.2.1 (illegal access to computer data by a group of people), 271.2.2 (illegal access to computer data by a functionary with use of official powers), and 271.2.3 (heavy damage by a group of people).