A five-month investigation has paid off for Durham police with the arrest of members of an alleged ATM skimming operation.
Back in July, a 51-year-old Cambridge man was arrested and charged for numerous "ATM compromises" in Bowmanville and Ajax, prompting the investigation.
Over the course of the next few months, police learned the Cambridge man had travelled out west with others and allege he hit several ATMs in the Edmonton and Calgary areas.
Working on tips from the Edmonton police, investigators nabbed two suspects Monday attempting to buy a major appliance at a Pickering department store with a fraudulent credit card.
When police investigated further they found the men were supposedly responsible for a series of ATM skimming incidents in Pickering in October. Around the same time, both had been arrested and released under false names in connection with drug offences.
A search of one of the suspect's residences reportedly turned up false IDs, major appliances, flat-screen televisions and $10,000 in cash. Added to that, police discovered pinhole cameras, recording devices, card reader overlays and other skimming equipment in a storage unit in Ajax.
Ian Laffan, 33, and Corrie Wheartly, 36, of Ajax, now face dozens of charges including fraud, forgery and possession of property obtained by crime.
Also arrested on Thursday were Shawn Routly, 37, of Whitby, Catherine Bell, 33, of Ajax, and Michelle Jobin, 33 of Pickering.
All five accused were in Oshawa court Friday morning.
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