Four men, who lured unsuspecting victims through social media before violently robbing them, have been convicted and sentenced in what investigators have described as the successful conclusion of a lengthy investigation into a disturbing crime spree that terrorised residents across Durban.

The Durban Regional Court convicted the four accused on Wednesday, July 15, following an investigation led by the SAPS eThekwini District Task Team, working alongside Marshall Security’s special operations team and investigations division.

The men, who used fake profiles on a social media dating platform, lured victims to hotels and bed-and-breakfast establishments in Durban North, Umhlanga, and Ballito.

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Once there, victims were allegedly assaulted, tied up, robbed of their valuables and forced to hand over access to their bank accounts.

The investigation began in 2023 after Marshall Security identified a pattern in the robberies. A breakthrough came when members of the special operations team received intelligence that the suspects had just committed another robbery at a hotel in Umhlanga.

Working closely with Durban North SAPS detectives, officers tracked the suspects as they fled the scene. After a brief pursuit along the N2 freeway, all four men were arrested. The investigation ultimately linked the accused to multiple violent robberies.

The court handed down lengthy prison terms:

Accused 1 was convicted on six counts and sentenced to 57 years’ imprisonment, accused 2 was convicted on two counts and sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment, accused 3 was convicted on six counts and sentenced to 57 years’ imprisonment, and accused 4 was convicted on two counts and sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment.

Marshall Security commended its investigators and the SAPS eThekwini District Task Team, particularly Detective Siphosenkosi Shezi, for their persistence in ensuring the accused were not only arrested but successfully prosecuted.

The convictions bring to an end a case that first made headlines in August 2023 when investigators uncovered what they described as a sophisticated criminal operation targeting people seeking companionship online.

The gang’s modus operandi exposed the darker side of online dating, with victims believing they were meeting genuine acquaintances before being ambushed and robbed.

The successful prosecution comes just days after another KwaZulu-Natal court imposed a combined 120-year prison sentence on two men who used a social media marketplace platform to lure victims before robbing them at gunpoint in the Mariannhill policing precinct.

“The convictions stem from investigations conducted by Detective Warrant Officer Mondli Sithole and the eThekwini District Detective Task Team. The sentences relate to four armed robbery cases registered at Mariannhill SAPS during 2024. Victims were lured to the Mariannhill policing precinct under the pretence of completing legitimate transactions. Upon arrival, they were confronted by the suspects, robbed at gunpoint, and dispossessed of their valuables. The SAPS urges members of the public to exercise caution when buying or selling goods through online platforms. Transactions should preferably be conducted in public places, during daylight hours. Members of the public should avoid carrying large amounts of cash and should immediately report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station,” said Captain Carmen Rhynes, spokesperson for the SAPS eThekwini District, in a statement.

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The two cases have heightened concerns over criminals increasingly exploiting online platforms to target unsuspecting members of the public.

Authorities have again urged residents to exercise extreme caution when arranging to meet people through dating or marketplace platforms.

Members of the public are advised to meet only in busy public places, inform family or friends of their whereabouts, avoid carrying large sums of cash and immediately report suspicious activity to police.