For guest house owners, this is good news, indeed! Members of the Welkom Flying Squad finally arrested a 39-year-old suspect on Thursday, 24 September. The man had cheated many guest houses in several towns by booking in as a guest and then disappearing a few days later without paying. This follows a call made via the media to trace the suspect. Information received and followed up led to his arrest at a guest house in Welkom.
While searching his bags, two knives, one gramme of Crystal Meth and one gramme of dagga to the estimated street value of R300 and R50 respectively, were found. The police also pressed charges against him for the possession of drugs. The suspect is wanted for cases of theft opened in Odendaalsrus, theft and fraud in Harrismith and at Parkweg police station. The suspect has already appeared in the Welkom Magistrates’ Court for possession of drugs and dangerous weapons. He was also set to appear in court in Odendaalsrus this week, on a charge of fraud and theft. Other stations will follow suit to also charge him for theft and fraud cases at guest houses where he has been staying.
The suspect claims to work for a company in Namibia, saying his car had broken down and that he needed a place to stay until his vehicle had been repaired. His modus operandi was to say that his employer would pay the accommodation fee, only to disappear a few days later.
Members of the Welkom Flying Squad, WO James Earle, WO Molahlehi Busakwe, Const. Thato Monokoane, WO Marie De Wet and the media were lauded by the Free State provincial commissioner, Lt-Gen. Baile Motswenyane for their sterling work in stopping these criminal activities.
