Zimbabwean man remanded after fraud racket
A Zimbabwean man was remanded in custody today over a multi-million euro fraud.
Micheal Tuzuka was arrested along with two other people after a nationwide investigation into stolen cheques and cheque books and the elaborate forging of credit cards.
The 32-year-old, of Park Square, Grange Rath, Drogheda, Co Louth, was charged with a series of fraud offences including possession of high-tech counterfeiting equipment, handling stolen cheques and theft.
A 28-year-old woman arrested in Drogheda and a 34-year-old man arrested in Galway were released without charge. All three were from Zimbabwe.
A file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
A Garda spokesman said over the last five months business customers of banks have been targeted by a criminal gang trying to transfer money overseas.
Criminals were pretending to be the account holders and sent forged documents to bank branches instructing them to transfer funds to other jurisdictions.
Several charities and companies doing international business were targeted by the gang.
The Garda spokesman said the investigation recovered €160,000 taken from the account of a well-known charity in September and prevented attempts to steal about €1.3m in September alone.
Searches were carried out on Wednesday morning at addresses in Drogheda and Galway.
The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and Drogheda-based detectives found forged documentation used to perpetrate a number of the frauds in the area.
High spec counterfeit equipment used to make fake credit cards, business cheques and cheque books were also found.
Detectives believe the cheques were stolen from post in Ireland and the UK.
Tuzuka is due back before Drogheda District Court next Friday.
