Briton gets 18 years, nine months for ATM fraud

PHUKET CITY: Despite confessing to charges against him, a British man has been sentenced to 18 years and 9 months in prison for ATM fraud.

Mark Hubert Veerasawmy, 45, received the sentence at Phuket Provincial Court several weeks ago, British Honorary Consul Martin Carpenter said.

Mr Veerasawmy was arrested in February last year together with his son Sonny, 20.

Phuket City Police arrested the pair after receiving a report that two men were acting suspiciously in front of the Kasikorn Bank branch on Chanacharoen Rd, near the Robinson department store.

When the police came to investigate, they found them in possession of 15 withdrawal slips, 10,000 baht in cash and 35 fake ATM cards, Capt Supachai Petchkul of Phuket City Police said.

When police searched the men’s hotel rooms they found more than 100,000 baht in bundles separated by rubber bands, Capt Supachai added.

The son, still in Phuket Provincial Prison awaiting trial, denies the charges against him.