Police recovered more than $16,000 in ATM withdrawals and 64 re-coded gift cards from three men arrested Saturday night after an incident at a Merrick bank.  

Plainclothes police officers from the Bureau of Special Operations watched the suspects enter the enclosed ATM section of the Citibank located at 2085 Merrick Road just before 10 p.m.  

The men went up to three ATMs at the bank before leaving in a sedan, said police, who followed their car a short distance before stopping it for a traffic violation.  

During the stop, officers observed a wad of cash wrapped around a plastic card protruding from the front passenger seat rear map pocket. Upon further investigation, police seized the $16,000 in ATM withdrawals as well as the forged gift cards.  

The three men arrested- Sasha Popov, 42, of Bethpage, Thomas Smith, 26, of Toms River, New Jersey and Brian Smith, 24, of Bayville, New Jersey- were all charged with several counts of possession of a forged instrument and scheme to defraud.  

The men, whom police said may be wanted in a series of crimes, were arraigned yesterday in First District Court in Hempstead.