The police detained 27 people and prevented 74 crimes related to “grandchild” fraud and extortion of approximately EUR 5 million. This is the result of an international action by officers from several European countries.
The actions of Polish policemen were coordinated by the Berlin police in cooperation with the prosecutor’s office. – In Poland, CBŚP police officers closed down a telephone exchange and prevented crimes involving over 300,000 people. euro and detained two women, who were charged with a total of 29 charges of attempting to commit fraud at the Prague District Prosecutor in Warsaw – said Sub-Inspector Iwona Jurkiewicz, spokeswoman for the Central Police Investigation Bureau.
The criminals specialized in fraud using the “grandchild” method. Their method of operation was to telephone the injured and present the legend of a family member’s road accident. The fraudsters then demanded the immediate payment of a high bail, which could have protected the person from arrest. – Everything indicates that the perpetrators, wanting to find out information about the potential victim’s family, even used press advertisements with obituaries, from which they obtained the details of the deceased’s mourners – noted the CBŚP spokeswoman. According to investigators, fraudsters could usually demand more than PLN 100,000 from the victims. euro.
27 people were detained
The international operation involved German policemen from 16 states and the Federal Criminal Police Office, Polish policemen from the Warsaw Central Bureau of Investigation and other police units, as well as officers from Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg, with the support of Europol. Approximately 1,000 people were involved in the investigation. officers.
As a result, 27 people were detained. The actions prevented 74 crimes related to “grandchild” fraud and the extortion of approximately EUR 5 million. Not only those responsible for logistics and collecting money were detained, but also the “telephone operators”. Jurkiewicz emphasized that one of the greatest successes was the liquidation of the telephone exchange operating in Warsaw.
– CBŚP police detained two women, aged 22 and 35. The collected evidence shows that the suspects called potential victims in Germany. Thanks to this action, CBŚP police officers prevented crimes involving over PLN 300,000. euro. In the rented house, the police found and secured, among others: a laptop, mobile phones and phone cards used for this practice, as well as two luxury watches worth over PLN 90,000. euro and 15 thousand euros in cash – explained the policewoman.
The matter is of a developing nature
The women were charged with a total of 29 counts of attempting to commit fraud. At the same time, the prosecutor initiated an investigation into the activities of an organized criminal group whose members committed fraud in Poland and Germany. The detained women were temporarily detained for three months.
The operation also resulted in the arrest in Germany of, among others, two people – a 48-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man. They were supposed to collect over 12,000. euros in cash from an 85-year-old victim. German investigators also accuse them of committing three other crimes in different regions of Germany.
– During the operation, the officers also determined the details of the cases and collected evidence to clarify other crimes of this type that occurred in Germany, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and other European countries – emphasized Jurkiewicz. The case is an ongoing development and the officers do not rule out further arrests.
Main photo source: CBŚP