An alleged local scammer was arrested in Tongaat, north of Durban on Monday, March 25.
The female suspect was sought for drugging and robbing elderly pensioners last Tuesday, March 19.
The woman and her accomplice worked together to apparently trick elderly pensioners into trusting them, promising the elderly that they had a potion that could cure any ailments they may have.
Members of the Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) were called out to Pensioners Cottage on Plein Street in Tongaat at 10.46am on Monday. This was after one of the suspects arrived to meet with a local councillor regarding subsidised housing. The woman was questioned about her involvement in the drugging and robbing incident last week, said spokesman for RUSA, Prem Balram.
“Residents identified the female as a con woman who previously robbed one of the residents. On arrival, reaction officers also linked the 46-year-old woman to a robbery that occurred on Moss Street in Verulam last Tuesday (March 19),” said Mr Balram.
“On the day of the incident, two women confronted a 67-year-old pensioner shortly after she left the Verulam Market. The smooth talking scammers befriended the victim and convinced her to allow them to accompany her home.”
When the women got to the pensioners house they saw that her 73-year-old husband was at the home, Mr Balram added.
One of the scammers informed the pensioners that they were in possession of ashes that would cure any ailments they may have. Mr Balram said the wife boiled water and added the ashes to it. The elderly couple consumed the concoction and lost consciousness shortly thereafter.
“Their family discovered the couple in an unresponsive state during a wellness check several hours later. The husband was located in the yard. He sustained bruising to several parts of his body. Cash, designer clothing and jewellery were missing from the house,” said Mr Balram.
During an interview with reaction officers, the suspect confirmed that she and an accomplice had robbed several pensioners in the eThekwini Region in KwaZulu-Natal, said Mr Balram. She further stated that the second suspect was employed at a call centre and she obtained contact details and identification numbers from her work data base.
“In some cases, they would make telephonic contact with their elderly victims and convince them to meet. She further stated that sleeping tablets were added to the ashes. She was expected to meet her accomplice in Tongaat to search for their next victim after her meeting with the local councillor. However, the woman was restrained and detained at South African Police Service (SAPS) Verulam,” said Mr Balram.
