Overview
- Vasile Bombonel, 38, was refused bail Saturday in Sydney after being extradited from Western Australia to face charges.
- He is charged with 18 offences, including nine counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception, theft from the person, and larceny.
- Police say the scheme used a distraction ploy where one person claimed a shopper had dropped cash, which led a second person to steal bank cards for fraudulent purchases.
- Investigators have logged reports across NSW from the South Coast to Grafton, with outlets citing 34 to 39 incidents and losses topping $100,000 to more than $150,000, largely affecting women aged 70 to 100.
- NSW Police’s Strike Force Danube is continuing inquiries and assessing possible links to alleged Romanian syndicate activity, noting recent related arrests in NSW and Queensland.