3 alleged con artists nabbed by Umbilo SAPS

Wanted suspects in connection with organised thefts were apprehended last night when they targeted an unsuspecting vehicle owner in Umbilo, allegedly with the aim to con him.

Captain Greg Beavon of the Durban Metro Police Street Crime Unit says: “These suspects normally approach people who have advertised their motor vehicles for sale on social media platforms. They then organise a meeting location – Umbilo Motor Licensing Office. During the process of making an offer, they produce ‘diamonds’ (glass) and make a deal. Obviously, the seller later discovers they have been duped.”

Beavon adds that the suspects also use fake money. “In this particular matter, the victims handed their phones to the suspects who then disappeared, leaving the victims phoneless. They are very good con artists.”

When the three suspects were arrested yesterday, the police team recognised that one of them had been arrested earlier this year, having been found with fake money and fake diamonds. The suspects were transported to Umbilo SAPS, where they were detained and identified by previous victims.

Umbilo SAPS spokesperson Captain Pumzile Biyana confirms the incident and adds that the suspects were charged with theft, and remain in custody.

Residents who are selling their possessions on social media are cautioned against ‘shady buyers’.