By BAKANG MOKOTO
23 December 2024- The police in the North West are warning the members of the community to be cautious when using their bank cards, especially during this festive season. This comes after incidents, wherein two suspects aged 52 and 56 respectively, were arrested in two different incidents in Potchefstroom.
In the first incident, it is alleged that on 11 December 2024, a man (55), attempted to withdraw money from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at one of the malls in Potchefstroom. After inserting his card and pin, he could not get the money he was withdrawing.
The North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sam Tselanyane said, moreover, the man cancelled the transaction and the card was returned, but he noticed it was not his. Tselanyane said a few moments thereafter, he got a notification that there was a cash withdrawal at a nearby filling station from his bank account.
“It was then that he blocked the bank card, went to the filling station and viewed the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of who withdrew the cash. Thereafter he reported the matter to the police.
“On 20 December 2024, at around 1:30pm, the complainant went again to another ATM to withdraw money. Whilst there, he noticed a man resembling the one he saw on the CCTV footage at the filling station and he shouted for help,” he said.
Tselanyane further said the man allegedly tried to flee, but was cornered at a taxi rank. He added that the police were called and the suspect was arrested and numerous bank cards were found hidden in his wallet.
“In a second unrelated incident around 1pm on the same day, Potchefstroom Crime Prevention members were on patrol around town when they received a call to look-out for a suspicious looking Mini Cooper vehicle.
“The vehicle was spotted driving on Dr James Moroka Avenue and members pulled it over. Upon conducting a search on the vehicle and driver, police found numerous bank cards hidden in the driver’s underwear and he could not give a satisfactory account of those cards,” said Tselanyane.
He said as a result, he was also arrested and his vehicle confiscated. Tselanyane said furthermore, preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is also on trial in Gauteng for the same offence.
“Both suspects appeared before the Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court on 23 December 2024, on charges of possession of suspected stolen property.
“Further investigation is underway to determine if the suspects could be linked to other incidents of theft/cloning of bank cards within the province,” he said.
The Guardian 