Police find €3,000 in cash in pockets of suspected money mule
Officers from the Northern Prefecture detained a 37‑year‑old Latvian resident in Tallinn on Monday, discovering €3,000 in cash in his pockets. Police believe he acted as a money mule in a series of fraud cases.
According to the suspicion, the man traveled to various locations across Estonia, visited the homes of fraud victims, collected cash from them and used their bank cards to withdraw additional money.
Valmar Viitak, head of the serious‑crimes unit at the Northern Prefecture's criminal bureau, said police received a report a month ago: a victim had received calls from scammers posing as bank and police officials.
The scammers told the victim that a virus had been found on their phone that could compromise banking data. Under their influence, the victim repeatedly entered their PIN‑1 and PIN‑2 codes, enabling scammers to take out a loan in the victim's name and make transfers from their account. The victim also handed over their bank card. After becoming suspicious, the victim contacted police, who immediately began investigating. Officers interviewed the victim and gathered evidence that led them to the suspect.
Over the past month, police received four more similar reports from different counties. Investigations were launched in all cases, and current information suggests the same 37‑year‑old man collected cash in all five incidents. The five fraud episodes resulted in at least €36,000 stolen from victims.
"Northern Prefecture officers detained the suspect in Tallinn shortly after he stepped off a bus arriving from Haapsalu. We found nearly €3,000 in cash in his pockets, and we have reason to believe he had just collected money from another victim," Viitak said.
"During a search of his belongings, we found 41 bank cards belonging to other people, three identity documents and one residence permit," Viitak added. Police will contact everyone whose bank card was found in the suspect's possession.
According to Marko Moorlat, prosecutor at the Northern District Prosecutor's Office, evidence gathered so far indicates the man knowingly participated in the criminal scheme.
"He came to Estonia deliberately to earn easy money at the expense of victims, especially the elderly," Moorlat said.
Given the number of crimes, the large number of victims, and the fact that the man has no ties to Estonia and could evade pretrial proceedings, prosecutors requested that he be taken into custody.
The court agreed, and the man must remain in jail for at least two months during the investigation.
--
Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Argo Ideon
