Palau News: ATM Skimming Scam Averted; H-n-R Boy; Palau Press Freedom; Ice Charges
Attempt to tamper local ATM machines averted
WRITTEN BY L. N. REKLAI
THURSDAY, 28 APRIL 2016 15:28
Alert officers prevent financial loss to the community
Koror, Palau, April 25, 2016, a possible theft of personal banking information from ATMs in Palau was averted, when an attentive and well-trained Border and Customs officers detected an ATM card skimming devise hidden inside a DVD player in package to be delivered to a visitor to Palau.
A Fed Ex package was received by Customs Office at the Palau International Airport. It originated from Indonesia and addressed to a non-resident female who supposedly was staying at a local hotel.
Customs Officer Nixon Rdiallul, upon inspection of the package, noticed a plastic sticking out of the DVD player that did not look like a normal part of the product. On a look out for drugs, the DVD player was opened for further inspection. “The DVD player was empty, with no motor unit. It instead contained wires and plastics,” says Customs Officer Foti Cooper. “Our guys thought these were parts of a bomb making devise and brought it for further inspection. I recognized it from our previous trainings that it may have something to do with bank machines. We called the police Director Aguon and met with Financial Investigations Unit,” he added.
“They brought the package here and we immediately identified it as an ATM skimming device. We contacted the FBI in Saipan because of the recent incident of ATM skimming in Saipan and compared notes,” stated Nelson Werner of the FIU.
Managers of local banks were also alerted and called to identify the item and they all agreed that it was ATM skimming devise. The devise also had different fittings to fit different ATMS in Palau. “Those guys are doing an amazing job!” declared Matthew Cruz of Bank of Guam Branch, of the Customs officers. “It is such a small unassuming item but they caught it! Saipan did not catch it until after they have been impacted,” added Cruz.
A team from Customs Office and Drug Taskforce arranged for a control drop of the package. The lady Maria Marisa, a Romanian passport holder, to whom the packaged was address, refused to accept the package. The lady and male companion, also a Romanian passport holder were interviewed extensively and both denied any knowledge of the package.
With not enough evidence to charge the lady and her companion, no arrest was made and the suspects departed Palau on April 27, 2016. The woman of interest, according to Immigration records, had been to Palau before. “In her first trip to Palau, she came through Guam right after the Saipan incident,” stated Werner of FIU.
“We are in direct communication with the FIU offices in Manila, Indonesia, Italy and Romania as well as the FBI on this matter,” said Werner. “The couples were not charged but any information we have on them including passport information, have been shared with relevant agencies,” he added.
Early this month, First Hawaiian Bank in Saipan was targeted by card skimming devises. These devises are connected to ATM machines and collect the bank data and PIN numbers from people’s ATM or credit cards when people use ATM. Information may be sold or used by others.
“Now that we know what this is, our officers are on high alert,” stated Customs Officer Foti Cooper.
“We are very lucky we caught this before they were able to use it. A lot of people could have been affected,” added Werner.
FIU press release urged the community to be mindful of the ATM card skimming threat and notify your bank or law enforcement personnel if anything suspicious with their local bank ATMs.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1020:attempt-to-tamper-local-atm-machines-averted
-------------------------------------------------------
Man in possession of ATM skimming devices arrested
By Ferdie De La Torre | Posted on May 02 2016
FBI photos compare skimming devices seized from Xiaolin Yang with that of Bank of Guam in Garapan that allegedly confirmed the illegal card readers were an exact match with the factory installed card readers present on the bank’s ATM machines. (Contributed Photo)
Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents arrested on Friday a Chinese man who was allegedly found concealing in his luggage ATM skimming devices. Xiaolin Yang was served with an arrest warrant issued by U.S. District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather L. Kennedy on Friday after the U.S. government filed a complaint charging him with illegal possession of device-making equipment.
At an initial court appearance on Friday afternoon, Kennedy granted assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe’s motion for a detention hearing. Kennedy set the detention hearing for May 4 at 9am and the preliminary hearing for May 15. Attorney Mark B. Hanson was appointed as counsel for Yang.
According to FBI special agent Haejun Park in his affidavit, Yang arrived on Saipan onboard Asiana Airlines Flight No. 625 from Hong Kong via Incheon, Korea on Thursday early morning.
Park said during immigration processing by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Yang acted suspiciously so he was required to undergo additional screening.
Park said during this additional screening, ATM skimming devices were found inside his luggage.
Park said ATM skimming device is a device typically fastened over the top of the factory installed card reader.
Together with a small hidden camera, this device is used by criminals to capture the data from the magnetic stripe on the back of an ATM card (“access device”) as well as the customer’s inputted personal identification number (PIN).
The captured data is later transferred onto a fraudulent ATM card and the captured PIN is used to withdraw money from the account.
Park said Yang acknowledged that he received the devices in China from his friend, who instructed him to just bring them to Saipan and that the friend would follow him.
Park said recognizing the appearance of the seized green-colored card readers, he went to Bank of Guam in Garapan and confirmed the illegal card readers were an exact match with the factory-installed card readers present on the bank’s ATM machines.
While being detained and after all other passengers had departed the airport, CBP officers noticed an Asian male waiting in the passenger arrival area outside the terminal.
CBP officers approached the man who stated he was waiting for a passenger. The man, who produced a CNMI driver’s license, refused to provide the passenger’s name.
About 20 minutes later, CBP officers noticed the same man once again in the passenger arrival area. When CBP officers approached him, he immediately left the area.
Park said during his interview, Yang disclosed that his friend in China made reservations for him at the Holiday Hotel.
Park said in his consent search of Yang’s belongings he found an iPhone 6, in which in the phone’s chat history, messages between Yang and his friend in China were discovered.
Park said the messages include the friend giving detailed instructions about traveling to Saipan and what to do upon arrival.
Park inspected the devices and determined that they consisted of two green-colored card readers and six grey-colored plastic panels with pinhole cameras secreted inside.
Park said Bank of Guam vice president and CNMI regional manager Marcie Tomokane confirmed that BOG was not expecting any service to be performed on any of its ATM machines on Saipan and added that such device was performed by technicians from the U.S. mainland.
Park leads the FBI’s investigation into the skimming devices that were discovered earlier last April on two ATM machines at First Hawaiian Bank in Oleai.
Last April 9, the FBI released 10 photos of individuals wanted by the FBI for questioning in connection to the recent electronic thefts from First Hawaiian Bank accounts held by Saipan residents.
FHB stated that card skimming through their ATMs was believed to be the cause of the unauthorized transactions made in various FHB accounts.
http://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/man-possession-atm-skimming-devices-arrested/
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Boy hit by car on life-support
WRITTEN BY L. N. REKLAI
TUESDAY, 26 APRIL 2016 00:23
An 11-year old boy Daizon Sechalboi, who was hit by car in front of Kwik Mart Store at Top-side on Sunday night, is on life-support in critical condition.
The driver of the vehicle that hit him and fled the scene has been identified at Roger Towai and has been arrested and is currently held in custody. According to reports, the boy was crossing the road when he was hit by a car. He flew over the vehicle to land on the asphalt road, sustaining multiple fractures and head injury. The car that hit him fled the scene but it was identified as SUV Surf.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=996:boy-hit-by-car-on-life-support
-------------------------------------------------
Palau ranks 1st in freedom of press in Asia-Pacific
WRITTEN BY L. N. REKLAI
THURSDAY, 28 APRIL 2016 15:15
May looking to be the month of free press
Republic of Palau ranks number 1 in freedom of press in the Asia Pacific region for 2016, according to an independent watchdog organization, Freedom House. It is also one of the three countries ranked number 1 in the world for Free Press.
Free press as defined by Freedom House is, “where coverage of political news is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is minimal, and the press is not subject to onerous legal or economic pressures.”
On a scale of 0-100, with 0 being the most free, in Asia-Pacific region, Palau ranks higher than Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and other Pacific island countries. Republic of the Marshall Islands is ranked number 2 in the region. People’s Republic of China is ranked number 30.
“Over the past five years, the Asia-Pacific region has been the only one to record steady gains in political rights and civil liberties as measured by Freedom House. Although it is home to China, where over half the world’s Not Free population lives, and North Korea, the least free country in the world, a number of Asia-Pacific countries have made impressive gains in the institutions of electoral democracy-elections, political parties, pluralism-and in freedom of association,” according to Freedom House publication.
May 1, 2016 will mark the first official meeting of the newly created Palau Media Council which is made up of independent members of Palau media as well as government media.
May 3rd is declared by United Nations General Assembly to be the World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness and importance of the freedom of the press.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1014:palau-ranks-1st-in-freedom-of-press-in-asia-pacific
-------------------------------------------------
Two more picked up on drug trafficking
WRITTEN BY L. N. REKLAI
TUESDAY, 26 APRIL 2016 00:20
Khan Cruz and Sechedui Ito charged. April 20, two more charges of Trafficking and Possession of Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine or “ICE”) were filed at the Palau Supreme Court Trial Division.
Two counts of Trafficking in Controlled Substance were filed against Khan Cruz. The charges came about as result of Belau Drug Enforcement Taskforce work to remove drugs from streets.
Officer Virginia Umayam of the BDETF, in an affidavit, swears that on two separate occasions, BDEFT conducted controlled buy operations with Confidential Informants (CI) and in each occasion, Mr. Khan Cruz met with CI in pre-arranged area and exchanged .08 grams of methamphetamine for cash.
Each occasion, the BDEFT surveillance observed the transactions and conducted field tests of items received from CI. Each occasion, the items were tested positive for methamphetamine or “ICE”.
A similar case also assigned to Officer Virginia Umayam, resulted in one count of Trafficking in Controlled Substance and one count of Possession of Controlled Substance filed against Sechedui Ito.
In a controlled-buy operation on March 2, Ms. Ito met a CI in a pre-arrange venue and exchanged .08 grams of “Ice” for cash. This was observed by members of BDEFT. On March 14, officers searched Ms. Ito’s vehicle after she gave her consent and found .09 grams of methamphetamine or “ICE” and other drug paraphernalia in her vehicle.
All charges are felony charges.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=991:two-more-picked-up-on-drug-trafficking
WRITTEN BY L. N. REKLAI
THURSDAY, 28 APRIL 2016 15:28
Alert officers prevent financial loss to the community
Koror, Palau, April 25, 2016, a possible theft of personal banking information from ATMs in Palau was averted, when an attentive and well-trained Border and Customs officers detected an ATM card skimming devise hidden inside a DVD player in package to be delivered to a visitor to Palau.
A Fed Ex package was received by Customs Office at the Palau International Airport. It originated from Indonesia and addressed to a non-resident female who supposedly was staying at a local hotel.
Customs Officer Nixon Rdiallul, upon inspection of the package, noticed a plastic sticking out of the DVD player that did not look like a normal part of the product. On a look out for drugs, the DVD player was opened for further inspection. “The DVD player was empty, with no motor unit. It instead contained wires and plastics,” says Customs Officer Foti Cooper. “Our guys thought these were parts of a bomb making devise and brought it for further inspection. I recognized it from our previous trainings that it may have something to do with bank machines. We called the police Director Aguon and met with Financial Investigations Unit,” he added.
“They brought the package here and we immediately identified it as an ATM skimming device. We contacted the FBI in Saipan because of the recent incident of ATM skimming in Saipan and compared notes,” stated Nelson Werner of the FIU.
Managers of local banks were also alerted and called to identify the item and they all agreed that it was ATM skimming devise. The devise also had different fittings to fit different ATMS in Palau. “Those guys are doing an amazing job!” declared Matthew Cruz of Bank of Guam Branch, of the Customs officers. “It is such a small unassuming item but they caught it! Saipan did not catch it until after they have been impacted,” added Cruz.
A team from Customs Office and Drug Taskforce arranged for a control drop of the package. The lady Maria Marisa, a Romanian passport holder, to whom the packaged was address, refused to accept the package. The lady and male companion, also a Romanian passport holder were interviewed extensively and both denied any knowledge of the package.
With not enough evidence to charge the lady and her companion, no arrest was made and the suspects departed Palau on April 27, 2016. The woman of interest, according to Immigration records, had been to Palau before. “In her first trip to Palau, she came through Guam right after the Saipan incident,” stated Werner of FIU.
“We are in direct communication with the FIU offices in Manila, Indonesia, Italy and Romania as well as the FBI on this matter,” said Werner. “The couples were not charged but any information we have on them including passport information, have been shared with relevant agencies,” he added.
Early this month, First Hawaiian Bank in Saipan was targeted by card skimming devises. These devises are connected to ATM machines and collect the bank data and PIN numbers from people’s ATM or credit cards when people use ATM. Information may be sold or used by others.
“Now that we know what this is, our officers are on high alert,” stated Customs Officer Foti Cooper.
“We are very lucky we caught this before they were able to use it. A lot of people could have been affected,” added Werner.
FIU press release urged the community to be mindful of the ATM card skimming threat and notify your bank or law enforcement personnel if anything suspicious with their local bank ATMs.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1020:attempt-to-tamper-local-atm-machines-averted
-------------------------------------------------------
Man in possession of ATM skimming devices arrested
By Ferdie De La Torre | Posted on May 02 2016
FBI photos compare skimming devices seized from Xiaolin Yang with that of Bank of Guam in Garapan that allegedly confirmed the illegal card readers were an exact match with the factory installed card readers present on the bank’s ATM machines. (Contributed Photo)
Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents arrested on Friday a Chinese man who was allegedly found concealing in his luggage ATM skimming devices. Xiaolin Yang was served with an arrest warrant issued by U.S. District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather L. Kennedy on Friday after the U.S. government filed a complaint charging him with illegal possession of device-making equipment.
At an initial court appearance on Friday afternoon, Kennedy granted assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe’s motion for a detention hearing. Kennedy set the detention hearing for May 4 at 9am and the preliminary hearing for May 15. Attorney Mark B. Hanson was appointed as counsel for Yang.
According to FBI special agent Haejun Park in his affidavit, Yang arrived on Saipan onboard Asiana Airlines Flight No. 625 from Hong Kong via Incheon, Korea on Thursday early morning.
Park said during immigration processing by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Yang acted suspiciously so he was required to undergo additional screening.
Park said during this additional screening, ATM skimming devices were found inside his luggage.
Park said ATM skimming device is a device typically fastened over the top of the factory installed card reader.
Together with a small hidden camera, this device is used by criminals to capture the data from the magnetic stripe on the back of an ATM card (“access device”) as well as the customer’s inputted personal identification number (PIN).
The captured data is later transferred onto a fraudulent ATM card and the captured PIN is used to withdraw money from the account.
Park said Yang acknowledged that he received the devices in China from his friend, who instructed him to just bring them to Saipan and that the friend would follow him.
Park said recognizing the appearance of the seized green-colored card readers, he went to Bank of Guam in Garapan and confirmed the illegal card readers were an exact match with the factory-installed card readers present on the bank’s ATM machines.
While being detained and after all other passengers had departed the airport, CBP officers noticed an Asian male waiting in the passenger arrival area outside the terminal.
CBP officers approached the man who stated he was waiting for a passenger. The man, who produced a CNMI driver’s license, refused to provide the passenger’s name.
About 20 minutes later, CBP officers noticed the same man once again in the passenger arrival area. When CBP officers approached him, he immediately left the area.
Park said during his interview, Yang disclosed that his friend in China made reservations for him at the Holiday Hotel.
Park said in his consent search of Yang’s belongings he found an iPhone 6, in which in the phone’s chat history, messages between Yang and his friend in China were discovered.
Park said the messages include the friend giving detailed instructions about traveling to Saipan and what to do upon arrival.
Park inspected the devices and determined that they consisted of two green-colored card readers and six grey-colored plastic panels with pinhole cameras secreted inside.
Park said Bank of Guam vice president and CNMI regional manager Marcie Tomokane confirmed that BOG was not expecting any service to be performed on any of its ATM machines on Saipan and added that such device was performed by technicians from the U.S. mainland.
Park leads the FBI’s investigation into the skimming devices that were discovered earlier last April on two ATM machines at First Hawaiian Bank in Oleai.
Last April 9, the FBI released 10 photos of individuals wanted by the FBI for questioning in connection to the recent electronic thefts from First Hawaiian Bank accounts held by Saipan residents.
FHB stated that card skimming through their ATMs was believed to be the cause of the unauthorized transactions made in various FHB accounts.
http://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/man-possession-atm-skimming-devices-arrested/
--------------------------------------------------
Boy hit by car on life-support
WRITTEN BY L. N. REKLAI
TUESDAY, 26 APRIL 2016 00:23
An 11-year old boy Daizon Sechalboi, who was hit by car in front of Kwik Mart Store at Top-side on Sunday night, is on life-support in critical condition.
The driver of the vehicle that hit him and fled the scene has been identified at Roger Towai and has been arrested and is currently held in custody. According to reports, the boy was crossing the road when he was hit by a car. He flew over the vehicle to land on the asphalt road, sustaining multiple fractures and head injury. The car that hit him fled the scene but it was identified as SUV Surf.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=996:boy-hit-by-car-on-life-support
-------------------------------------------------
Palau ranks 1st in freedom of press in Asia-Pacific
WRITTEN BY L. N. REKLAI
THURSDAY, 28 APRIL 2016 15:15
May looking to be the month of free press
Republic of Palau ranks number 1 in freedom of press in the Asia Pacific region for 2016, according to an independent watchdog organization, Freedom House. It is also one of the three countries ranked number 1 in the world for Free Press.
Free press as defined by Freedom House is, “where coverage of political news is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is minimal, and the press is not subject to onerous legal or economic pressures.”
On a scale of 0-100, with 0 being the most free, in Asia-Pacific region, Palau ranks higher than Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and other Pacific island countries. Republic of the Marshall Islands is ranked number 2 in the region. People’s Republic of China is ranked number 30.
“Over the past five years, the Asia-Pacific region has been the only one to record steady gains in political rights and civil liberties as measured by Freedom House. Although it is home to China, where over half the world’s Not Free population lives, and North Korea, the least free country in the world, a number of Asia-Pacific countries have made impressive gains in the institutions of electoral democracy-elections, political parties, pluralism-and in freedom of association,” according to Freedom House publication.
May 1, 2016 will mark the first official meeting of the newly created Palau Media Council which is made up of independent members of Palau media as well as government media.
May 3rd is declared by United Nations General Assembly to be the World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness and importance of the freedom of the press.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1014:palau-ranks-1st-in-freedom-of-press-in-asia-pacific
-------------------------------------------------
Two more picked up on drug trafficking
WRITTEN BY L. N. REKLAI
TUESDAY, 26 APRIL 2016 00:20
Khan Cruz and Sechedui Ito charged. April 20, two more charges of Trafficking and Possession of Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine or “ICE”) were filed at the Palau Supreme Court Trial Division.
Two counts of Trafficking in Controlled Substance were filed against Khan Cruz. The charges came about as result of Belau Drug Enforcement Taskforce work to remove drugs from streets.
Officer Virginia Umayam of the BDETF, in an affidavit, swears that on two separate occasions, BDEFT conducted controlled buy operations with Confidential Informants (CI) and in each occasion, Mr. Khan Cruz met with CI in pre-arranged area and exchanged .08 grams of methamphetamine for cash.
Each occasion, the BDEFT surveillance observed the transactions and conducted field tests of items received from CI. Each occasion, the items were tested positive for methamphetamine or “ICE”.
A similar case also assigned to Officer Virginia Umayam, resulted in one count of Trafficking in Controlled Substance and one count of Possession of Controlled Substance filed against Sechedui Ito.
In a controlled-buy operation on March 2, Ms. Ito met a CI in a pre-arrange venue and exchanged .08 grams of “Ice” for cash. This was observed by members of BDEFT. On March 14, officers searched Ms. Ito’s vehicle after she gave her consent and found .09 grams of methamphetamine or “ICE” and other drug paraphernalia in her vehicle.
All charges are felony charges.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=991:two-more-picked-up-on-drug-trafficking