SAPS Provincial Tracking Team assisted by the Metro Police arrested five suspects aged between 26 and 43 for fraud and seized equipment they were allegedly using to defraud people.
According to Captain Nqobile Gwala from provincial SAPS, police were conducting an intelligence-driven operation when they received information about suspects who were defrauding people in Marine Parade, Durban South Beach.
“Police pounced on the suspects and seized an undisclosed amount of cash, bank and credit cards belonging to fraud victims, SASSA cards, payslips, bank statements, cellphones, cordless telephones, a number of sim cards from different service providers and a speed point machine,” said Gwala.
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Police also seized the suspects’ Land Rover Discovery vehicle which was taken back to the bank that had financed it. Suspects were taken to Durban Central Police Station for detention where they will be charged for fraud and possession of suspected stolen property.
“They will appear in the Durban Magistrates’ Court soon as the investigation continues. Suspects will also be profiled to ascertain if they can be linked to other fraud incidents in Durban and its surroundings,” said Gwala.
Acting provincial commissioner in KwaZulu-Natal, Major General Bheki Langa, commended the police officers in arresting the suspects and seizure of the property used to commit the criminal activities.
“We will ensure that the suspects face the full might of the law and we will conduct an identification parade so that the suspects are prosecuted for all their crimes,” he said.
