A manhunt was launched after two victims were kidnapped and extorted of an amount of R95 000 by bogus cops.
On 20 July at about 14:00 a 59-year-old man was at Absa Bank in Welkom when he received a phone call from a female who introduced herself as Dimpho and requested him to meet her at a pharmacy in one of the shopping centres.
The female was unknown to him. She is light in complexion, wearing a black trouser and jacket, drives a black Volkswagen Citi Golf with unknown registration.
The woman suggested that they must drive to Odendaalsrus to buy tripe of R150 and that he can buy for himself. He agreed to drive with his vehicle, she left her vehicle at the parking lot of the shopping centre. While travelling to Odendaalsrus, she instructed him to park beside the road so that she can make a call for directions where to buy the tripe.
While they were parking a white vehicle with four occupants parked behind them and they introduced themselves as police officers and showed him SAPS bagdes.
His car was searched and nothing was found, the female was also searched and claimed to have found a gold bearing material so they are under arrest. The three entered his Yaris and he was placed at the back seat. They drove off and the female and the fourth male were never seen again.
On the way they robbed him off R2 000, stopped at a filling station in Potchefstroom to fill the car with petrol and bought snacks. Driving further to Randfontein KFC, one of them introduced himself as a captain and he asked for his bank card pin and R1 000 was withdrawn from the ATM. They asked for his banking app and R5 000 was transferred to their bank account. The victim was told that the case is very serious and it includes murder.
They drove to the Randfontein police station and another person introduced himself as the Station Commander and that they want R100 000 for him not to be arrested.
A guest house was booked and the following morning R68 000 was transferred from his bank where he had a fixed deposit. He was given his car keys and instructed to leave and was accompanied by two of the suspects to be dropped in Fochville.
In a separate incident on 27 July a 38-year-old resident of K9 Kutloanong Odendaalsrus was approached by an unknown man who asked about her sister’s name.
He asked to leave his welding machine as he wanted to buy welding rots. She agreed and the man left.
Few minutes later, there was another knock at her door there was a coloured women with a Sotho speaking gentleman. Both introduced themselves as police officers. They flashed what looks like a badge and she was asked to accompany them to their vehicle, a white Volkswagen Polo, in the car she saw the same man who left his welding machine at her house.
She was told that the man was in big trouble for the machine is linked to murder, rape and five firearms stolen and that she is an accomplice. She went inside her residence to change clothes as she was still in her pyjamas. She took her identity document and cellphone.
They drove with her to Odendaalsrus police station and told her that they were going to drop off the man as he will be transported with a police vehicle.
They drove with her to Bothaville and said she can give them R3 000, one of them made a call to a man who claimed to be a colonel who then said the money is too little and that the magistrate must be given R3 000.
She called her sister, they took her to a bank where she withdrew R10 000 and she handed the money to them, they gave her R200 to hike home in Kutloanong.
Cases of kidnapping and extortion were registered for both the victims.
Anyone with information leading to the arrest of these kidnappers impersonating police officers, must contact Det. Capt. Jonathan Human of Odendaalsrus Detective Services on 082-301-2797 or Crime Stop number 08600 10111.
