The police of Khatlon province have uncovered a new and unusual method of stealing money from payment terminals.  Criminals used tape to steal funds, Interior Ministry’s Office in Khatlon reports.

According to law enforcement, two individuals — Safarali Toshpulotov (28 years old) and Alimurad Kuganov (23 years old) — developed a unique scheme for stealing money, which allowed them to steal large sums.

"They would attach tape to a 100-somoni note, insert it into the terminal, and once the money was credited to the account, they would pull the note back out," says a  statement released by the Khatlon police.

According to the Khatlon police, the criminals used this method to steal 21,474 somonis from several terminals in Khatlon’s capital, Bokhtar.  They reportedly operated on various streets of the city, working at night to avoid drawing attention.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the perpetrators under Article 244 (2) Tajikistan’s Penal Code – theft.  This article stipulates a fine ranging from 1000 to 2000 calculation indictors (one indicator equals 75.00 somonis) or imprisonment for a term of two to five years.

An investigation is under way and law enforcement continues working to identify other potential victims of the criminals.