Online Reporter
The Herald, 2 July 1983
THE police have arrested 10 people, including three policemen, who are alleged to have swindled more than $250 000 from several business people on the pretext of buying foreign currency for them.
The police officer commanding the Crime Prevention Unit in Harare North/South Province, who was also the leader of the investigation team, Superintendent Asam Ngwenya, yesterday told The Herald that the men were due to appear in the High Court soon.
“At the beginning of 1983, the accused made a scheme whereby they would make approaches to various white business- people in Harare and offer to sell them large amounts of foreign currency at a very attractive price.
“The accused would set up an appointment with a person interested in buying foreign currency, and while his meeting was taking place, the policemen involved in the gang, would then barge in on the meeting and pretend to arrest them.”
The policemen would take details and allow the person to go without their money with instructions to meet the police at a designated police station some days afterwards,
“The idea was that the person involved would be afraid to make a report to the police for fear of getting himself involved in illegal foreign currency deals. The accused would thus get away with it said Supt Ngwenya.
He listed three examples where one businesswoman and two businessmen fell for the con and never reported the case to the police. The businesswoman, from a well-known upholstery company in the city lost $5 000. The police still have to recover her money.
A director of a well- known departmental store in Harare is alleged to have lost about $247 000. “As soon as the businessman handed over the money, he was approached by one of the accused policemen and was told he was being arrested for Illegal dealing in foreign currency. “The businessman shook with fear and begged for forgiveness saying he did not want to go prison. He asked the accused to take the money and spare him from going to prison.
Lessons for today
- The victims were attracted by the offer of cheap foreign currency, which seemed too good to be true. The desire to gain quick financial advantage can make people ignore risks and fall into traps.
- Some of the accused were policemen, people expected to uphold the law. There was abuse of power. Positions of power can be misused, so systems must ensure accountability and integrity.
- The victims were engaging in illegal foreign currency deals, so they feared reporting the crime. This is why they became easy targets for exploitation and blackmail. Illegal activities make people vulnerable hence the businessman did not report the crime because he feared arrest and imprisonment. The gang carefully planned the scheme using fake arrests to scare victims.
