Bartender jailed for computer misuse and drug offences

SINGAPORE - A bartender sold credit card details to his alleged accomplice who used them to make unauthorised online top-ups on numerous EZ-link cards, a court heard.

After topping up the Ez-link card, the alleged accomplice would obtain refunds at various Ez-Link ticketing counters. He made sure that the maximum top-up he performed on any card was $50, as no particulars would be required for the refund for this amount or less.

The court heard that the details of 28 customers' credit cards at Kazbat@Cuppage were compromised over two months in 2010. The total amount of losses involved in 267 charges was $12,610.

On Friday, Mohamed Sufian Mohamed Sabri was sentenced to six months' jail on each of 24 charges of computer misuse he pleaded guilty to last Friday.

The 41-year-old had also admitted to two other drug-related charges, and was given five years and three strokes for consuming morphine under the enhanced provisions.

District Judge Victor Yeo ordered four of his six-month terms to run consecutively with the five years, making a total of seven years and three strokes.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Khoo told the court that Sufian was working in Kazbar@Cuppage at Cuppage Terrace in February 2010 when he asked Mohamed Faisal Zhairudin, 35, for a loan.

Faisal, who turned down his request, suggested that Sufian obtain credit card details from the customers of the restaurant, and offered to pay him $30 for each set of credit card details.

Sufian would copy down the details of credit cards on pieces of paper and sell them to Faisal.

Faisal allegedly bought numerous Ez-link cards and an ACS card reader. He allegedly used his laptop computer to carry out online top-ups of the Ez-link cards with the credit card details provided.

An Ez-Link executive reported to the police in 2010 following reports of numerous fraudulent credit card transactions on the online top-up portal for Ez-link cards.

Sufian was arrested at his workplace on March 19, 2010.

In relation to the drug offences, Central Narcotics Bureau officers arrested him with drugs in his bag last August. He has previous convictions for cheating, giving false information, drug consumption and drug trafficking.

The alleged accomplice has not been charged.

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