Cash point gang jailed

THREE men have been jailed for a total of almost four years for their part in a cashpoint fraud at a bank in Hampstead Garden Suburb.

The gang targeted unsuspecting members of the public who were trying to use the cashpoint on Ossulton Way on Janaury 27. They used metal strips with double sided glue to catch bank notes as they were dispensed from the ATM.

The three men, all from Romania, were sentenced for fraud offences at Wood Green Crown Court last Thursday.

George Efitime, 22, Ionut Diaconu, 31 – both of no fixed address – and Cornell Mihai, 24, of Hampden Square, Barnet, all received 15 months in prison and are subject to deportation orders once they have served their sentences.

The fraud was detected when a member of the public noticed them acting suspiciously near a cashpoint. The witness kept watch and noted the description of the men and the details of the Mercedes car they were driving and then called police. Det Con Yogini Patel, the investigating officer, said: “By using a metal strip with double sided glue the gang effectively went fishing for other people’s money.

“This type of crime is definitely on the increase and we were very fortunate a vigilant member of the public reported this to police.

“With the current financial climate innocent members of the public cannot afford to lose money in this manner.”