SERNIC arrests alleged conman in Maputo

Maputo, 20 Mar (AIM) – The National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) has arrested a 35-year-old Mozambican for allegedly scamming over 50 people in Maputo.

Most of the victims believed they were applying for jobs in Brazil and Portugal. To do so, they had to pay a commission ranging from 30,000 to 40,000 meticais (from 470 to 620 dollars at the current exchange rate). At the time of the events, the suspect was studying for a doctorate in Contemporary Education in Maputo city.

“The victims included students applying for scholarships who were lured into paying between 70,000 and 120,000 meticais. To this end, the suspect deceived the victims by claiming to be the owner of a company abroad dedicated to recruiting students and workers”, said SERNIC spokesperson, Hilário Lole, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, in Maputo.

The spokesperson said that the individual, in addition to facing charges of aggravated fraud, is also accused of falsifying documents and abuse of trust.

“In order to put his scam into practice, he provided a link associated with the supposed company and shared it on various digital platforms where potential victims registered themselves online. And then they were interviewed so that they could have access to these scholarships at these institutions”, he said.

“People began to realize that this was a scam when they tried to board the plane. In the process, they received airline tickets and when they boarded, they discovered that the tickets were fake and when they went to the embassies they were told that their visas were also fake”, Lole explained.

According to Lole, SERNIC also seized contracts from people who had been swindled with promises of employment, among other false documents.

“At the time of the arrest, it was possible to find false documents drawn up in the name of public institutions in the country, specifically in Maputo city, among other documents intended to give their actions more credibility”, he said.

“A range of contracts were also found for various individuals to work in these institutions with the promise of salaries of over 45,000 meticais”, he added.

For his part, the suspect (who has not yet been named) denies all the accusations, saying “they’re accusing me because some people say I cheated and I didn’t do that. I represent an association that the institution said I could create and the members could be trained. I simply liaise between the association, the members and the institution,” he said.

The alleged conman was sentenced to a ten year jail sentence in the central city of Quelimane in 2020. But he appealed, and so the sentence was suspended, and he is currently free to continue a criminal career.

(AIM)

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