The three brothers, aged between 48 and 51, had been sentenced in Romania to prison terms of up to seven years for computer fraud, money laundering and forming an organised criminal group. They coordinated a network that recruited people and sent them to the United States to install skimming devices on ATMs, stealing card data from hundreds of American citizens. Their capture followed a joint operation by Romanian and Italian police.

(Staff: Romania & Italy / Justice & Cybercrime)

Three Romanian brothers, considered the leaders of an international network specialising in skimming and bank-card cloning, were captured in Italy after about a year of pursuit. The arrests followed a joint operation by Romanian and Italian authorities in the provinces of Savona and Brescia in late August 2026. The three men, aged 48, 49 and 51, had been evading the prison sentences imposed in Romania.

The capture operation

According to information from the Romanian Police and Italian authorities, the arrests were made possible through cooperation between the Brașov County Police Investigation Service and police forces in Genoa, Savona and Brescia, with support from Rome’s Central Operative Service (SCO). The investigation was also supported by a security expert from the Italian Embassy in Bucharest.

The first arrest took place on July 22, 2026, in Millesimo, in the province of Savona. Police identified the house where one of the brothers was hiding, but he was not found in the rooms. During the search, officers discovered a specially constructed compartment inside the building, designed to remain hidden during inspections. The Romanian was concealed behind a false wall and was carrying false documents and several mobile phones.

Two other brothers were located in Roè Volciano, in the province of Brescia. After weeks of searching, police identified the building where they had been hiding. They were arrested on August 21, 2026, as they returned from shopping.

How the network operated

Investigators determined that the three brothers held leadership positions in a criminal organisation active in the United States, Austria, Italy and Romania. Its modus operandi was as follows:

1. Recruitment: The group recruited people and sent them to the United States.
2. Device installation: Recruited accomplices installed skimming devices on ATMs. The devices copied bank-card data and PIN codes.
3. Fraudulent withdrawals: The stolen data was used to make illegal cash withdrawals. The victims included hundreds of US citizens.
4. Money laundering: The proceeds were transferred to Europe and placed into a complex money-laundering scheme. The money was reinvested in real estate, luxury cars, travel and other luxury goods.

Convictions and sentences

The three brothers were convicted in 2025 by the Brașov Tribunal for international fraud, cybercrime and money laundering. They received prison sentences ranging from five to seven years. After the convictions, they disappeared and attempted to evade the execution of their sentences by taking refuge in Italy.

European arrest warrants were issued for them, and Romanian authorities searched for them both nationally and internationally.

Reaction from the authorities

Genoa police said the capture of the three brothers was the result of concrete and continuous international cooperation and the ability to rapidly share operational information across borders, under the coordination of the SCO in Rome.

Conclusion

The capture of the three Romanian brothers in Italy marks an important success in the fight against cross-border cybercrime. The network they coordinated had stolen bank-card data from hundreds of American citizens and laundered millions of euros through investments in real estate and luxury goods. The cooperation between Romanian and Italian authorities demonstrates that, however well organised such groups may be, international cooperation remains one of the most effective tools against them.