The Provincial Commercial Crimes Unit in was hailed by the Provincial Management for their swift action after they were alerted to a suspected Diamond scam and extortion at broad daylight on 09 October 2019, in East London.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the four suspects aged between 35 and 45 took an advantage of an unsuspecting person who was selling his car on Gumtree. They called him to East London where they manufactured a false promise to exchange cash of about million dollars for a five thousand rands (R5000) cash. The suspects are further alleged to have showed him a substance wrapped in a brown paper which they identified as diamonds.
After realizing that the deal was no longer about the selling car, the would-be victim who cannot be identified for security reasons, pretended to be going to organise the required amount of money. He then alerted the police who immediately tracked the suspects and arrested them.
An amount estimated at above twenty (20) Zimbabwean dollars, R600-00, stones and cellphone were recovered. The suspects were driving in a Silver Grey Run X which was also confiscated for further investigations.
The suspect are expected to appear before the East London Magistrate Court once they are charged on Fraud, Extortion and Precious Stones Act. They remain in police custody until their court appearance on Friday, 11 October 2019.
The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga has hailed the sterling work of the Commercial Crimes Unit as “a remarkable breakthrough” in breaking the back of the criminal gangs who are determined to rip off the innocent communities of their monies. General Ntshinga vowed to dismantle any form of existing syndicate that may be founding its habitation within the community of East London and elsewhere.
