"The detection and arrest of these two men, as well as the border interception of three others, demonstrates the joint commitment by the police, Immigration New Zealand and the Customs Service to target this type of offending.
"We want to ensure that people with criminal intentions don't make it through the border or, if they do, that they and their activities are detected swiftly.''
Mr van den Heuvel said Customs received crucial information from banking authorities after an alert from a vigilant member of the public.
Customs was then able to quickly identify the suspects, leading to a joint investigation in which banks were alerted to check their machines and be extra vigilant.
Mr van den Heuvel said it was important to always be vigilant around ATM machines and take precautions when entering PIN numbers.
"If anyone has concerns that an ATM has been tampered with, or doesn't look right, they should contact their bank as soon as possible.''