Swift teamwork by a Blue Security armed response officer and the police led to the arrest of a gang of fraudsters who allegedly defrauded a buyer during the ‘sale of a vehicle’ in Amanzimtoti, on Wednesday.
Blue Security tactical ambassador for Amanzimtoti, Eugene Engelbrecht, said armed response officer “Triple M” was in the process of investigating an alert on an Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera when a member of the public turned to him for help. The incident occurred at around 2.15pm.
“Fortunately, it had turned out that the camera alert was a false alarm, so when the member of the public came running up to Triple M for help he was immediately able to assist. The member of the public advised Triple M that a suspect had just defrauded him during what was supposed to be the purchase of a vehicle transaction. The suspect had allowed the victim to test drive a vehicle that he had purported to be selling,” Engelbrecht said.
“But as soon as the funds, the victim paid the suspect, had cleared in a bank account the suspects jumped into a white BMW and fled the scene.” Engelbrecht said. Triple M immediately gave chase and called for backup.
“Members of the SAPS and another security company responded to the call for assistance and gave chase, catching up with the vehicle in Isipingo where the police arrested one suspect who was taken to the police station for processing,” Engelbrecht said. A case of fraud was opened.
Engelbrecht said Triple M had earlier assisted a resident in Amanzimtoti after he managed to apprehend a trespasser who had entered a neighbour’s property. The incident occurred at around noon. “Triple M responded to the scene where he found the neighbour had just caught the suspect in the garage and ordered him to lie on the ground. The suspect was in possession of an electric lamp. Triple M arrested the suspect and handed him over to the police,” Engelbrecht said.
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