The Samoa Government has unsuccessfully attempted to deport two Chinese nationals convicted of “skimming” more than $70,000 from A.T.Ms after they were denied entry to New Zealand. 

Zhong Shuiming and Yang Quigreen were convicted in 2017 of illegally withdrawing money from accounts belonging to customers of the the Bank South Pacific.

“They were scheduled to leave last week,” said Alex Su’a the men's lawyer. 

“We are waiting for them to get clearance to go through New Zealand."

In 2017 they were found guilty of stealing; intentionally accessing A.T.M. without authority; and intentionally accessing A.T.M. without authority with the purpose of committing a crime of dishonesty. 

They were sentenced to five years in jail. 

According to the lawyer, given that Samoa does not have a deportation facility the men have to be taken back to Tanumalala Prison.  

“We have applied for parole but the application was not considered,” said Su’a. 

At the time of sentencing, District Court Judge Fepulea’i Ameperosa Roma said the crimes involved a high degree of planning and premeditation:

“These were no ordinary thefts and most likely involved others.

"There was obviously a great deal of planning before you arrived in Samoa and started stealing from the A.T.M.s."

The crime involved counterfeit bank cards which were used to illegally withdraw funds from offshore clients' accounts. 

“It also involves you traveling all the way from China with those counterfeit cards to an island where you have never been before and withdrawn numerous and substantial sums from A.T.M.s of a bank within three days,” said the District Court Judge.