Wanted man hands himself over

A Limpopo man wanted for fraud and theft handed himself over to police on Tuesday.

Muhammad Ismail Essack (31) was declared wanted by OR Tambo International Airport detective task team when he failed to return a hired car to an airport-based rental company.

Police spokesperson Major-General Vuyisile Ngesi said: “He (Essack) hired a vehicle on 27 May and was supposed to have returned it on 30 May.”

According to the police, Essack had duped the car rental company into renting him a luxury sedan.

Instead of returning it on the agreed date, he sold the vehicle to a Hammanskraal resident, north of Pretoria, for R45 000.

This led to the car rental company laying a charge of theft with the police at the airport against Essack.

“Essack has since been on the task team’s radar until he handed himself over in the presence of his attorney on 13 September after he caught wind of his impending arrest.”

Ngesi said the investigation revealed that Essack had another 32 cases of fraud and theft of motor vehicles pending, which took place around Modimolle.

“The 32 cases are already centralised and are being investigated by Modimolle police and he will appear in the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court on 22 September.”

Essack appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on three counts of fraud and two counts of theft of a motor vehicle.

He remained in custody until his next court appearance on 16 September, when he would apply for bail.