Durban - A private security company's persistence in pursuing a suspicious vehicle led to the arrest of a man, on Wednesday, involved in scamming people during private car deals.
The pursuit of the suspect followed from the Amanzimtoti City centre to Prospecton south of Durban.
A member of the the Community Crime Prevention Organisation (CCPO) based in Amanzimtoti noticed the driver of a white BMW driving recklessly. The CCPO said at the same time a Blue Security officer reported over the CCPO radio that the BMW was involved in a scam where they sell a car and keep the car and the money.
The CCPO said the driver was part of a syndicate that is possibly linked to more than 20 similar cases.
Blue Security tactical ambassador for Amanzimtoti, Eugene Engelbrecht, said an armed response officer 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.
“Fortunately, it had turned out that the camera alert was a false alarm. This is when the member of the public came running up to the officer for help. The member of the public advised that the 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.”he said.
Engelbrecht said the officer immediately gave chase and called for backup via the Community Crime Prevention Organisation (CCPO) network.
“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.