A 61-year-old man was arrested, several ATM cards that are suspected to be stolen and cash were recovered in Verulam – KZN.
At approximately 11:46, a female contacted the Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) Operations Centre requesting assistance. According to the caller, she was utilising an ATM at the service station in Verulam – KZN when the
machine malfunctioned. An elderly male who had just used the cash machine before her offered to assist.
The suspect distracted the 21-year-old victim while he removed her bank card. He thereafter proceeded to his vehicle and drove off. The female realised that she had been scammed and flagged down a passing motorist. They followed the suspect who was driving a white Toyota Corolla and contacted RUSA for assistance.
Reaction Officers were dispatched to Inanda Road to intercept the vehicle. Officers spotted the suspect’s car travelling towards the R102 and witnessed the driver discard the stolen ATM card out of the window before he sped off. RUSA Members pursued and boxed his vehicle in on the R102 between Verulam and Canelands – KZN.
Reaction Officers conducted a search and recovered the victims ATM card. She positively identified the driver of the vehicle as a person who had distracted and stolen her property. The suspect confirmed during an interview that he specialised in ATM scamming. Several other bank cards and R940 in cash were recovered in his possession. The ATM cards are also believed to have been stolen.
The KwaMashu – KZN resident was placed under arrest and detained at SAPS Verulam.
