Pensioner scammed: Two women arrested for allegedly drugging and robbing elderly man

Two women who tricked a pensioner into inviting them into his home before drugging and robbing him have been traced down and handed over to the police.

On Friday in Mungal Road, Riet River, KwaZulu-Natal, two women dressed in Indian traditional attire approached a 75-year-old man who was in his yard and struck up a conversation with him.

According to Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), the woman asked the pensioner about his late wife and mentioned her by name.

Women invited into pensioner’s home

He then invited the women into his home and offered them something to drink.

“The scammers insisted on preparing tea and proceeded into the kitchen, where they prepared the beverage for themselves and the victim,” Rusa said in a statement on Friday.

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“He blacked out after consuming the tea and regained consciousness several hours later. The victim discovered several household items—a cellphone, cash, and clothing—were missing.”

CCTV footage showed the women, concealing their identities with masks, leaving the property with two bags.

Following the incident, Rusa officers acted on information to find one of the suspects at her home in Chatsworth.

Suspects tracked down

“When interviewed, the 39-year-old woman said that she had accompanied a friend to the residence and noticed the man became incoherent after drinking the tea,” Rusa said.

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“She added that they left the residence with three bags of the stolen goods after her friend exited the elderly man’s bedroom. She was unaware that he had passed out.”

The woman offered to show the officers where her accomplice lived, and they travelled to Phoenix and located a 47-year-old female at a creche in Sunford.

“When interviewed, the woman informed Reaction officers that the valuables taken from the robbery were given to a friend of her teenage son,” Rusa said.

Suspect said stolen valuables given to teen son

“She further added that she had befriended the pensioner on Facebook and had boarded an Uber to his home on Friday expecting to be compensated for the visit.”

The two women were subsequently handed over to the South African Police Services (Saps).

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