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WesBank processed and approved the application based on the falsified financial records submitted by the accused.
Picture: Jacques Nelles
Hawks investigators have arrested a second suspect in connection with a sophisticated vehicle financing fraud that saw criminals walk away with a Ford Ranger Raptor worth more than R1.3 million.
The 27-year-old suspect was apprehended in Groblersdal on Saturday,26 July 2025, by a joint operation involving Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation, Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation and the Sekhukhune Tracing Team.
Fraudulent application approved by WesBank
The elaborate scheme began in April 2023 when the primary accused submitted a fraudulent application to WesBank for vehicle financing.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa stated that the accused attempted to purchase the high-end Ford Ranger Raptor through a financing arrangement.
“The accused allegedly attached the bank statement and employer’s payslip as requested,” Mmuroa stated.
The fraudulent documentation was sophisticated enough to pass initial scrutiny.
WesBank processed and approved the application based on the falsified financial records submitted by the accused.
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Vehicle collected with accomplices
Once approval was secured, the dealership contacted the accused to inform him of his successful application.
Mmuroa said the accused travelled to the Polokwane dealership to collect the luxury vehicle, accompanied by two male accomplices who are now suspects in the case.
The trio successfully took possession of the Ford Ranger Raptor and left the dealership.
However, their scheme began to unravel when payment obligations came due.
Payment defaults trigger Hawks’ investigation
Problems emerged when the accused failed to make the required payments to WesBank.
“The bank tried to contact him without success,” Mmuroa stated.
The lack of payment and inability to reach the accused prompted WesBank to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit of the transaction.
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Forensic audit exposes fraud
The forensic investigation revealed the extent of the deception.
“WesBank conducted a forensic audit and noticed that the accused used fraudulent documents during his application,” Mmuroa explained.
He said the bank immediately reported the matter to Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in Polokwane for assistance with the criminal investigation.
First arrest leads to second suspect
Hawks investigators launched their probe, which resulted in the arrest of the primary accused on 2 January 2024.
However, the investigation did not end there.
Further investigative work revealed the involvement of additional suspects.
Detectives determined that the recently arrested 27-year-old suspect had actively assisted the primary accused in defrauding WesBank and collecting the vehicle from the dealership.
The newly arrested suspect was scheduled to appear before the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Polokwane on Monday, 28 July 2025.
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Hawks’ leadership welcomes progress
The provincial head of the Hawks in Limpopo has expressed satisfaction with the progress of the investigation.
Major General (Advocate) Gopz Govender welcomed the arrest of the second suspect.
Mmuroa said Govender “is confident that the Hawks’ SCCI team will crack this case”.
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