West African Nationals Arrested In Loxley

Police say a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Loxley early Wednesday morning could have prevented a local, financial disaster!

"These people had enough information where they could have cost consumers and banks large sums of money," says Lt. Doug Phillips with the Loxley Police Dept.

Officers had no idea what was in store for them when they questioned three men inside a van during the traffic stop. The men were foreign nationals from West Africa and were hauling high-tech computer and electronic equipment used to steal credit card information.

"These were devices capable of reading the information that's on the card and that information can be stolen from you and used for the other person's benefit," says Phillips. "The last several years identity theft has been a very serious problem, and we deal with it on a daily basis."

All three men have been charged with criminal possession of a forgery device. Federal immigration and customs agents are now handling the case.