TWO alleged conmen were arrested this morning after a sting operation between the SAPS Crime Intelligence Unit, the Tactical Response Team (TRT) and Sean Pierce of Coast to Coast Special Investigations. The duo, who are thought to be part of a syndicate, were arrested on Marine Parade in Durban after a tip-off from a client of the private investigator. The men are wanted in connection with nine cases of fraud in the Durban area, totaling more than R4-million.
According to a source at the Durban North SAPS, the men are linked to several cases. The source told the Northglen News that nine cases had been opened at the Point SAPS and two at the Durban North SAPS, which totaled R1-million. What’s more, the alleged fraudsters (who pass off coloured glass as uncut tanzanite gems) may be linked to a string of fraud cases stretching over 10 years.
Police believe one of the men arrested is also 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.
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.
Given the facts about this increasingly rare gem, an investment in a tanzanite could lead to a gemstone fortune as it’s bound to keep increasing in value, the police contact said.
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