Dating App Horror: Pietermaritzburg Men Lured, Robbed, and Assaulted
Pietermaritzburg – Two men have been apprehended by police in connection with a disturbing series of crimes targeting men in the Pietermaritzburg area. The suspects allegedly used a popular dating application to lure their victims to an abandoned house in Scottsville, where they were then subjected to violent assaults and robberies.
According to Colin David, director of Mi7 National Group, several cases mirroring this modus operandi have been reported at various police stations in the city over the past two months. "The victims, all men, described the same modus operandi. They would communicate with an individual via a popular dating app. The individual would lure them to an address in Scottsville. When the victim arrived, they were confronted by between five and seven suspects and forced into the premises, an abandoned building," David explained.
The victims were held captive in a room within the derelict building, where they were assaulted at gunpoint. The perpetrators then forced them to transfer funds from their bank accounts via mobile banking applications, either through e-wallets or direct transfers to a designated bank account.
A crucial breakthrough in the investigation occurred last week when one of the victims managed to provide banking records. These records detailed the ATM from which the stolen funds were withdrawn, along with the precise time of the transaction, said David.
"This led Alexandra Road police station detectives to Scottsville Mall, where they were able to source CCTV footage of the suspects and their vehicle," David stated. Acting swiftly, Mi7 teams uploaded the vehicle details onto the Mi7 Surveillance Net, a sophisticated network comprising over 150 camera systems equipped with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) software. This effectively cast a wide net over Pietermaritzburg and the surrounding Midlands region.
On Sunday, the suspect vehicle, a VW Polo, was flagged by the Mi7 Surveillance Net in the Scottsville area. This triggered a large-scale search operation involving police teams, Mi7 units, and personnel from another security company.
The vehicle was eventually spotted and stopped on Oribi Road. "Two suspects were inside, one in possession of a firearm with live ammunition," confirmed authorities.
Following the arrest, investigators proceeded to the abandoned building in Scottsville, the scene of the alleged crimes. There, they discovered a cache of incriminating evidence, including "more live ammunition, more than 40 car keys, half a dozen vehicle ignitions, a computer box for a vehicle, an alarm modem and gate remote controls."
Law enforcement officials are currently conducting further investigations into the matter. It is suspected that the apprehended individuals may be linked to other unsolved crimes in the area. Authorities also believe that there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward due to fear and the social stigma associated with the nature of the crimes. "It is also believed there were more victims, some of whom have not opened cases due to fear of the stigma attached," a source close to the investigation revealed.
Police are urging anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this scheme to come forward and report the incident, assuring them that their identities will be protected. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working diligently to uncover the full extent of the criminal operation and bring all those involved to justice. The discovery of numerous car keys and vehicle ignitions suggests a possible connection to vehicle theft or other related offences, which investigators are actively pursuing.
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