Sogenaamde “polisiebeamptes” wat landbouers bel oor hul vee en ander eiendom wat teruggevind is, slaan steeds in die Vrystaat toe. Volgens dr Jane Buys, Veiligheidsrisiko-analis van Vrystaat Landbou (VL), is daar 17 dorpe of gebiede in die provinsie waar sedert begin vanjaar toegeslaan is. Dit is Bethulie, Bloemfontein, Brandfort, Clarens, Cornelia, Dealesville, Dewetsdorp, Glen, Heilbron, Hennenman, Koffiefontein, Rosendal, Springfontein, Theunissen, Viljoenskroon, Virginia en Winburg.

Volgens die VKB VL Veiligheidslessenaar se inligting, word die klaer dikwels enkele ure of dae nadat ’n saak aangemeld is, deur ’n “beampte of offisier” gekontak wat meld dat sy of haar eiendom teruggevind is. Die landbouer moet dan ’n sekere bedrag, gewoonlik tussen R800 en R10 000, by byvoorbeeld ’n bank, supermark of per e-wallet betaal sodat die diere of eiendom gehaal en terugbesorg kan word.

Vertroulike inligting

“Die sogenaamde beampte klink baie geloofwaardig. Hy of sy meld ook die ondersoekbeampte se besonderhede, details oor die eiendom of die soort brandmerk, getal vee wat gesteel is en het ook kennis van die saak wat slegs op die MAS-stelsel voorkom,” sê Buys.

Die “beampte” kontak polisiestasies se Gemeenskap-dienssentrums telefonies om saaknommers, klaers se besonderhede, asook verdere inligting, te bekom. Volgens Buys is dit alles vertroulike inligting.

VL het reeds in Februarie 2018 die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD) versoek om ’n interne kommunikasie hieroor na al sy stasies in die Vrystaat te stuur. Dit moet polisiebeamptes daarop wys om geensins vertroulike inligting oor sake aan enige voornemende polisiebeampte deur te gee nie, alvorens dit nie bevestig kan word of die spesifieke persoon wel ’n polisiebeampte is nie.

Volgens Buys geld die waarskuwing aan landbouers vir vee, asook gesteelde voertuie en plaasimplemente, wat glo teruggevind is.

“Geen polisiebeampte sal ’n lid van die publiek of landbouer versoek om enige geld te betaal om sy gesteelde eiendom terug te kry nie,” sê sy. ’n Landbouer sal waarskynlik deur die ondersoekbeampte van sy of haar saak gekontak word en nie sommer deur ’n ander beampte nie.

Dalk verband met dié misdadiger

Dit kan ook moontlik wees dat dieselfde bedrogspul verband hou met ’n misdadiger wat vanuit die tronk aktief is.

Buys sê daar was twee gevalle in die Bethlehem-area waar die persoon gepoog het om twee plase te koop. Hy stuur mense vooruit wie die besigheid beklink, “betaal” die geld oor in die bankrekening wat nog nie reflekteer nie en die volgende oggend stop trokke om die vee te kom laai, want die plaas is glo reeds verkoop.

Volgens Buys is die SAPD in die Vrystaat gevra om ’n formele ondersoek oor die saak te loods en sal ’n nasionale ondersoek ook aangevra word, omdat dit voorkom of dié bedrogspul ook oor provinsiale grense uitgevoer word.

Free State Agriculture warns against the fraud of so-called “Police officers”

So-called “police officers” calling farmers about their stolen livestock and property which has been recovered are still operating in the Free State. According to Dr Jane Buys, Security and Risk Analyst at Free State Agriculture (FSA), there are 17 towns or areas in the province that since the start of this year fell victim to this. They are Bethulie, Bloemfontein, Brandfort, Clarens, Cornelia, Dealesville, Dewetsdorp, Glen, Heilbron, Hennenman, Koffiefontein, Rosendal, Springfontein, Theunissen, Viljoenskroon, Virginia and Winburg.

According to the VKB FSA Safety Desk’s information, the complainant is contacted by an “official or officer” only a few hours or even days after a case has been reported, stating that his or her property has been recovered. The farmer must then pay a certain amount, usually between R800 and R10 000, for example at a bank, supermarket or e-wallet so that the animals or property can be retrieved and returned.

Confidential information

“The so-called officer sounds very credible. He or she also mentions the investigator’s details, details about the property or the type marking on the livestock, number of cattle stolen and has knowledge of the case that occurs only on the MAS system,” says Buys.

The “officer” contacts police stations telephonically to obtain case numbers, complainants’ details, as well as other information. According to Buys, all of this is confidential information.

FSA requested the South African Police Service (SAPS) in February 2018 to send an internal communication to all its stations in the Free State. This must advise police officers not to give confidential information on cases to any “police officer” before it can be verified whether the particular person is in fact a police officer.

According to Buys, this warning to farmers is applicable to cattle, as well as stolen vehicles and farm implements, which are apparently recovered.

“No police officer will request the public or a farmer to pay any money to recover stolen property,” she says. A farmer will probably be contacted by the investigating officer of his or her case and not just by another other officer.

Perhaps related to these criminals

It may be possible that this scam is related to a criminal who is active from inside prison.

Buys says there were two cases in the Bethlehem area where the person attempted to buy two farms. He sends people to go ahead with the business, “pay” the money into the bank account that has not yet reflected and the next morning trucks arrive to load cattle because the farm has apparently already been sold.

Buys says the SAPS in the Free State was asked to launch a formal investigation into this matter and a national investigation will also be requested, as it appears that this specific scam is also being carried out across provincial borders.