The Provincial Commercial Crime Unit has arrested a suspect in Bohlokong in the Free State in connection with a fraud case related to a fraudulent boat trip scheme.
It is alleged that between March 2023 and December 2023, approximately 30 community members from Bohlokong in Bethlehem, made arrangements to take a boat trip to Mozambique in December 2023. The group entrusted a 34-year-old man from Bohlokong, who claimed to be an agent for a travel agency, to facilitate the travel bookings.
During this period, the victims deposited amounts ranging between R5,700 and R7,000 each into the suspect’s business account. However, when the time came for the trip, the suspect disappeared with the funds, leaving the victims unable to proceed with their travel plans. A total amount of R150 000 was deposited into his business account, which he disappeared with. A case docket was opened and investigated by the Provincial Commercial Crime Investigation Unit (CCIU).
A warrant of arrest was authorised and today, at about 09:00, a team from the Provincial Commercial Crime Unit in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District successfully traced and arrested the suspect at his house in Bohlokong. The suspect is set to appear before the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court on 6 February 2025, for his first court appearance.
