Klerksdorp Record, Klerksdorp - A tourist from India was arrested at OR Tambo Airport over the weekend on suspicion of fraud at a Klerksdorp car dealership.
The Hawks arrested Minhaz Ahmed Patel (33) on Sunday March 2 while trying to flee to his home country.
According to WO Amogelang Malwetse, spokesperson for the Hawks, he is connected to the fraudulent sale of a BMW 4 series M4 Coupe to the tune of R1,4 million back in May 2022.
It is alleged that Patel submitted fraudulent documents to get the motor vehicle finance approved. “Once the deal was approved, he received the vehicle and disappeared. No payments were ever made to the bank and the Hawks were tasked to investigate,’’ she said.
Patel appeared in the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday March 3 and the case was postponed to March 13 for a formal bail application.
Malwetse said that Patel entered South Africa in 2019 as a tourist. “The matter is still under investigation, that includes his whereabouts these past six years since he’s entered the country.’’
In a separate case involving the same Klerksdorp dealership, Thabang Calvin Ndlovu (25) was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment last week on charges of fraud in the Klerksdorp Specialised Commercial Crime Court.
His sentence emanates from a transaction in December 2021 where he applied for financing of a Volkswagen kombi to the value of R542 000 using fake documents. The finance was approved and Ndlovu disappeared with the vehicle without ever paying a cent.
The Hawks were called in to investigate and he was arrested in May 2023. He was sentenced on February 26.
