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Police hunt for card theft gang
Aug 25 2006
By Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail
A GANG of identity thieves who masquerade as businessmen from the West Midlands is being hunted by police in Scotland.
The smartly dressed team are believed to be behind a series of thefts of bank and credit cards, driving licences and passports from business conferences in Edinburgh.
The cards have then been used to withdraw cash from various banks, building societies and post offices.
It is believed that the professional team have so far stolen several tens of thousands of pounds from unsuspecting victims' bank accounts.
Detectives in Scotland today released CCTV images of a group of people they want to talk to in connection with the crime spree.
A 30-year-old man from Coventry has already received a year in jail in Edinburgh for admitting his part in some of the crimes.
Det Con Andy Higgins, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "We believe the rest of the organised teams are from the West Midlands and would ask the public to look carefully at these pictures.
"The people who carry out these crimes are smartly dressed in business suits and look entirely presentable.
"When the victims go to lunch they leave their jackets or briefcases behind thinking they will be safe. But these teams go in and help themselves."
Anyone with information can call Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 620 5138 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
