Romanian national arrested in Arusha for bank card fraud

The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (TAKUKURU) in Arusha has detained a Romanian national, 39-year-old Constantin Catalin Podoleanu, on suspicion of manufacturing and using counterfeit bank cards to conduct unauthorized transactions from third-party accounts.

During an operation in the Njiro area of Arusha on August 20, 2026, officials searched the suspect's residence and seized various items allegedly used in the fraudulent scheme. The recovered equipment includes six POS machines, multiple bank cards, two laptops, and chemicals and tools used for card production.

Authorities also recovered 2.17 million Tanzanian shillings in cash, foreign currency, and payment receipts valued at approximately 171.7 million Tanzanian shillings and 55,987.20 US dollars. Preliminary investigations suggest that the data on the cards is linked to citizens of several foreign nations. The funds from these accounts were reportedly used to pay for various services within Tanzania without the account holders' knowledge or consent. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full scale of the network and identify other potential accomplices.