Police have revealed that three Chinese men accused of stealing money from ATM machines worked in a Chinese restaurant in Apia.
“We scrutinized the video evidence given to us by the affected company and we searched a Chinese restaurant in Matautu Tai. We found a bunch of forged debit cards in the rubbish bin inside the restaurant,” said Acting Police spokesperson, Su’a Le Mamea Tiumalu.
“We apprehended two of suspects from there. At the moment the total missing is approximately more than $17,000 tala and we are still trying to find where it’s gone,” said Su’a.
The two accused are currently in custody at Tafaigata prison on the charge of theft to await the 12 September 2016, when they will appear in Court.
They have surrendered their travel documents.
A third suspect fled the country and is reported to be in China.
“First we have to catch him there. We are working on a connection there, so they can find him and bring him here and until then that’s all we can say for now,” said Su’a.
Police believe the suspects were reportedly travelling around the Pacific and illegally taking money from ATM machines in some of the countries.