UIS: Policewoman Detained for Receiving Cash from ATM Thefts

Bratislava, 16 June (TASR) - A 25-year-old female police officer, Lenka J. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons], suspected of receiving, storing and using cash from ATM thefts, as well as of carrying out financial transactions to hide the money's origin, has been detained as part of an operation codenamed Hamlet and accused of money-laundering, TASR has learnt from Internal Affairs Inspectorate (UIS) spokesperson Andrea Dobiasova. "The accused deposited the funds into bank accounts via cash deposit machines and subsequently transferred them to other accounts, thereby making them available to the accused P.Z. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] who was detained in Hungary as part of international cooperation," said Dobiasova, adding that the police officer worked at the Regional Traffic Inspectorate of the Bratislava police. UIS presumes that her actions served to conceal the origin of the proceeds of crime and to help P.Z. evade criminal prosecution, adding that the policewoman is now being prosecuted at liberty. P.Z. has been accused in connection with the explosion of an ATM in the village of Dolne Saliby near the town of Galanta (Trnava region), with UIS focusing in this case on the cash and individuals suspected of laundering it, explained Dobiasova, adding that these efforts led to Operation Hamlet, which was carried out on 13 June. UIS worked in close cooperation with the criminal police in Trnava, while also receiving assistance from Czech and Hungarian partner teams. jrg/df