A 28-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly defrauding a restaurant of R10,000 worth of seafood, including prawns, crab, calamari, and fish in Lotusville, KwaZulu-Natal
The incident began on July 21, Monday when the owner of the store reported the theft to Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa).
He detailed to officers how an Uber driver collected a large order of seafood using a fraudulent proof of payment. This immediately set off an investigation, with Rusa officers interviewing witnesses and analysing CCTV footage from the restaurant.
“This identified the perpetrator, his vehicle and the mobile phone used to share the proof of payment. Information was shared on social media and reaction officers received several tip-offs of a man attempting to sell the stolen seafood,” said Rusa.
Rusa maintained surveillance in Brindhaven as the suspect attempted to make another purchase using the same modus operandi.
“He opted to fetch the stolen seafood on Rosemary Drive and again produced a fraudulent proof of payment…Information was also received that the suspect and two other males from Phoenix had stolen a large quantity of Red Bull energy drinks from Cornubia in recent weeks,” added Rusa.
On Wednesday, the suspect was arrested and the phone used during the transactions was recovered. When questioned, he confessed to having dumped part of the seafood along the roadside after it had spoiled. In an astonishing admission, he revealed that the remaining seafood was consumed, sold, and even shared with his family.
Further inquiries revealed that the suspect is employed by a national dairy company and resides in Mountain View, KZN. Additional investigation by Rusa indicated that he may also be connected to a group that had recently stolen a significant quantity of Red Bull energy drinks from a local business in Cornubia.
He was handed over to the South African Police Services (SAPS).
Colonel Robert Netshiunda, a spokesperson for the KZN police, was reached for comment but was unable to confirm the arrest.
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