Lae police urge banks to collaborate in fight against card-cloning

Lae police have been actively pursuing and tracking down card-cloning syndicates operating within the city since last year.

Earlier this month, officers successfully tracked and arrested six suspects from two separate syndicates, who are now in custody and undergoing interrogation.

The Lae Metropolitan Commander, Chief Superintendent Chris Kunyanban, said his Sector Response Unit (SRU) officers remain on high alert around the clock, treating every piece of intelligence as a priority while closely monitoring any suspicious activity.

"We have our IT specialist within the force who has successfully proven that the confiscated cloning machine, is capable of copying the exact data from an active customer's bank card onto a blank card," Kunyanban said.

NBC News witnessed a demonstration by the Lae Metro Police IT specialist, who tested the device using his own card. Within seconds, the machine copied the full card details, confirming how easily criminals can steal from unsuspecting victims.

Chief Superintendent Kunyanban has been calling on commercial banks to collaborate with Lae police since last year, as more victims continue to report missing funds. The highest reported loss so far stands at K50, 000.

Since last year, the majority of card-cloning victims reporting to Lae police have been Bank South Pacific (BSP) customers.

BSP responded, stating that all banks are working with a specialized task force based in the National Capital District (NCD) to investigate card-cloning cases, as announced by police authorities in Port Moresby.

The bank advised that Lae police should consult their police hierarchy in the capital.

However, Chief Superintendent Kunyanban stressed that Lae police are bound to operate within their jurisdiction to serve the people of Lae.

"We cannot be flying to Port Moresby every time a customer reports that their account has been wiped out. Even victims cannot afford to travel to NCD to report to a task force," he said.

BSP has since responded that the matter has been escalated and that a formal response is pending the management's approval.

Despite the challenges, Chief Superintendent Kunyanban commended his officers for their tireless efforts to protect the people of Lae.

Meantime, customers from other commercial banks have also come forward. One Kina Bank customer claimed that K48, 000 was withdrawn from his account. NBC News has reached out to the bank and is still awaiting an official response.