Romanian national held in Sh171.7m bank card fraud probe

Arusha. A 39-year-old Romanian national, Mr Constantin Catalin Podoleanu, is in the custody of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) in Arusha over allegations of using stolen bank card details to illegally obtain money.

Arusha Regional PCCB head, Ms Zawadi Ngailo, said the suspect was arrested on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at around 10 pm at his residence in Njiro, Arusha.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday, August 22, 2026, Ms Ngailo said the arrest followed information provided by members of the public.

She said a subsequent search of the suspect’s residence at Njiro Block D, Engutoto Ward, led to the seizure of equipment and other items allegedly linked to the suspected fraud.

Among the items recovered were six point-of-sale (POS) machines, various bank cards, equipment and chemicals suspected to have been used to produce counterfeit cards, and two laptops.

PCCB officers also recovered various receipts with a total value of more than Sh171.7 million, as well as payment receipts worth $55,987.20.

"The officers further seized Sh2.17 million in cash, a €20 banknote and 15 Saudi riyals," said Ms Ngailo.

Preliminary investigations have established that the bank card details allegedly obtained illegally belonged to nationals of different countries outside Tanzania.

According to Ms Ngailo, money was allegedly withdrawn from the victims’ personal bank accounts and later used to pay for various services in Tanzania through bank cards.

“Some of the individuals concerned have also said they had never received the services for which the payments were made during the period in question,” she said.

Ms Ngailo said investigations were ongoing to establish more details about the alleged offences, the circumstances surrounding them and whether other individuals were involved in the suspected network.

“Once we complete our investigations, we expect to take the suspect through the next stages of the legal process,” she said.

She urged members of the public to continue providing information on corruption and financial crimes to assist authorities in preventing and combating such offences.

A resident of Njiro, Ms Neema Mosha, said the arrest had shocked residents, who had not suspected that the Romanian national could be involved in such activities.

“It is good that our security organs are there to curb crime. We have been living here without suspecting that someone among us could face such allegations,” she said.

Ms Mosha called for further investigations to establish whether other people were involved in the alleged network and urged authorities to take legal action against anyone found culpable.