By Obakeng Maje

Zeerust-Another group of card cloning syndicate arrested by North West Hawks. The two suspects are, Neo Morule ( 26) and Katlego Sekeleko (30) both from Mahikeng appeared before the Zeerust Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of Fraud and Possession of suspected stolen bank cards. 

“The suspects will appear again on 10 June 2013 for a bail application.

It is alleged that on Friday police received a tip-off that the suspects were interrupting clients at one of the Automatic Teller Machines(ATM) at one of the garages in Zeerust” Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said. 

Police arrived at the scene and the suspects were then arrested in their operational area. Twenty two different bank cards were found in their possession said Ngubane. 

Police said bank cards found in the possession of suspects were cloned and transactions were done already. 

“Some of the cards found to be in possession of the suspects belonged to Police Officers who were also their victims of the card cloning syndicate” police said.  

The Hawks had identified that ATM at Zeerust garage as one of the hotspots where card swapping and cloning took place on many occasions. 

The Hawks together with the Dog Unit will also visit the respective homes of the suspects in Mahikeng on Tuesday for further search.  

“The 43 year-old,Oupa Joseph Mashangu with a lavish house and expensive posh cars who stays  in the top suburbs of Klerksdorp, Doringkruin, was  also arrested last week on Thursday in Rustenburg when he was caught in the act next to the ATM. 

“He appeared in Rustenburg  Magistrate Court on the 27th May 213 and he appeared again today and he was remanded in custody until the 5th of June 2013 for bail application” said police. 

The suspect had a previous case of a similar nature when he was arrested last year on the 31 December 2012, and he was still out on bail when he was arrested.

The North West Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Zukiswa Mbombo has welcomed the arrest and commended the Hawks for a job well done as card cloning has been one of the major crimes that has engulfed the North West Province, claiming about R2 million. 

“The Provincial Commissioner said her concern with these kinds of crimes is that heartless criminals like these, targets the poor and the illiterate where they take advantage of them at ATM’s and clean them off their hard-earned monies”. 

The Provincial Commissioner said this has a huge negative impact on the poor people of the province. 

She requested the business community around North West province to ensure that they contribute in clamping down off these crimes. 

“The Provincial Commissioner further requested that Business people should ensure at all times that they ask for proof of identity from any person that swipes with a card to buy goods and products” said police. 

This practice has proved to work on other provinces in curbing these crimes.

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