A Congolese man (34), who told his victims he could change paper into money, had been arrested by the metro police on Thursday last week.
The suspect, who was nabbed at about 1.30pm at a house on Baxter Street in Birchleigh North, will face charges of theft and possession of counterfeit US dollars.
According to Capt Lesibana Molokomme, spokesperson for Norkem Park SAPS, the man was apprehended by officers Nkosingiphile Maphumulo, Thapelo Monareng and Jabulane Buthelezi.
The officers were lead to the man’s home after they had received a complaint from two women, aged 29 and 34, who claimed the suspect had robbed them of R20 000 cash.
“The women said the suspect ‘trapped’ them into some kind of magic spell and promised them if they gave him their money, he would double it to R40 000,” Molokomme said.
The victims apparently met with the suspect on February 21 at Greenstone Mall in Edenvale at about 9.30am where they handed over their R20 000 to him, hoping that the following day, which was when they agreed to meet, their money would be doubled.
“The following day the women tried calling the suspect, who then denied he knew them and that they had met the previous day.
“Fortunately, one of the victims was able to identify the suspect’s home as she had previously gone with him to his house,” Molokomme said.
Upon searching the home, they found cash to the value of R38 400, numerous copies of counterfeit US dollars, bottles containing liquids and chemicals, a laptop, small pieces of crystal stones as well as several business stamps.
Chief Supt Wilfred Kgasago, metro police spokesman, said preliminary investigations pointed to the fact that the suspect was a fraudster who slyly duped potential victims into believing that utilising a certain chemical on a special paper transforms the paper into real money.
