Two more people fleeced in Tanzanite scam
Private investigator says there may be as many as four syndicates operating in the province.
TWO more people have been fleeced by a Tanzanite syndicate. According to Sean Pierce of Coast to Coast Special Investigations, he has been alerted to two cases in Pretoria and Durban where con-men pass off coloured glass as uncut tanzanite gems. The news comes on the heels of the arrests of two men linked to a Tanzanite syndicate.
They were arrested recently for trying to scam a Durban resident and have been remanded into custody at the Westville Prison. The men are wanted in connection with nine cases of fraud in the Durban area, totaling more than R1-million. According to Sean Pierce of Coast to Coast Special Investigations, the men were positively identified in an ID parade for cases amounting to R85 000 and R700 000 respectively.
“One of the men arrested is linked to a case where a Richards Bay businessman was fleeced out of R700 000 last year. The victim met the suspects at Gateway outside a hotel and handed over the money, only to find later on he had paid for lumps of coloured glass. Since their arrests I have been contacted by other residents who have also been fleeced by these syndicates. Just this week, a local resident was scammed at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, There seems to be at least three or four syndicates currently operating,” he said.
Tanzanite is a rare gem, found in just one place on earth – Tanzania. Because crystals show different colours depending on viewing direction, cutters can choose bluish-purple or the more favoured pure blue or violet blue hue, depending on how much weight they want to retain from the rough.
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