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ATM money might have left Taiwan: reports

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ATM money might have left Taiwan: reports

ATM money might have left Taiwan: reports

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The final NT$5.78 million (US$180,000) from the First Commercial Bank automatic teller machine theft might have been taken outside the country by the thieves, reports said Friday.
A mostly East European group of more than a dozen people allegedly stole a total of NT$83 million (US$2.59 million) from more than 40 of the bank’s ATMs over the July 10 weekend, but all but out NT$5 million has been found.
On Friday, police were still investigating a 65-year-old man from Taipei City’s Neihu District who had taken part of the money home after finding it in a park before telling the authorities.
However, in the latest twist in the saga Friday, media reported that two of the suspects, an Estonian and an Australian, had exchanged NT$200,000 (US$6,200) into Korean won, Australian dollars and U.S. dollars at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport just before leaving the country on a flight to South Korea on July 11.
The report led police to believe that the other members of the gang might have done the same, namely take some of the money as a reward to fund their travel, and exchanged the sums at the airport.
The two suspects had arrived in Taiwan on July 10 and traveled to Taichung, where they took money from two First Commercial Bank branches before departing the following day, reports said.
The event captured the attention of the media because of its size, with more than a dozen foreigners being involved, and because of the ease which with they took the money, without using bank cards or touching any screens.
The main suspicion now centered on malware introduced into the bank’s system via its London branch.
A Latvian, a Romanian and a Moldovan have been detained in Taiwan for the theft, but the others, mostly Russians, have disappeared overseas.