Wellington Police are welcoming the guilty pleas made by two Romanian nationals to charges of preparing to commit a crime. Both men remain in custody and will be deported from New Zealand later this week.
Detective Senior Sergeant John Van Den Heuvel says "This case sends a strong message to these international criminals that New Zealand is not an easy target.
"The detection and arrest of these two men, as well as the border interception of three others, demonstrates the joint commitment by the Police, Immigration New Zealand and the Customs Service to target this type of offending.
"We want to ensure that people with criminal intentions don't make it through the border or, if they do, that they and their activities are detected swiftly.
Crucial information was received by Customs from banking authorities after an alert from a vigilant member of the public.
Customs were then able to quickly identify the suspects, leading to the joint investigation. The agencies were then able to distribute a security alert to banks to check their machines and use extra vigilance.
It is important that the public is always vigilant around ATM machines and take precautions when entering their PIN number. If anyone has concerns that an ATM has been tampered with, or does not look right, they should contact their bank as soon as possible.
ENDS
For media queries please contact Nick Bohm, Wellington District Communications Manager, on 027 559 2235.