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Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Correspondent
A Bulawayo man is facing arrest after he reported that he was defrauded of $120 000 by an illegal forex dealer.

Police told Allan Majaha Sibanda that he had also committed a crime by illegally buying forex.

Sibanda allegedly responded to a request for $120 000 float from a WhatsApp group of illegal foreign currency dealers known as osiphatheleni, which he is a member of, on Sunday.

He allegedly agreed on a deal to send Givemore Mapuranga who is on the run, the money for US$1 400. Mapuranga vanished with the money and Sibanda filed a police report.

Bulawayo Police Spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said:

“On 12 July 2020, the complainant, Allan Majaha Sibanda from Bulawayo who is a member of a WhatsApp group of illegal foreign currency dealers in the city received a message that someone was looking for a float of $120 000 in exchange of $1400 in American dollars. He responded to that message, which had been sent by one Givemore Mapuranga. They got into a deal and the complainant then as agreed sent $120 000 to the accused person. Upon receiving the money, the accused person cut all ties and contact with the complainant, switched off his phone and stopped responding even on his social media accounts,” said Inspector Ncube.

Majaha allegedly tried to trace the suspect on his own before accepting defeat and reporting the matter to the police.

Sources who spoke to the chronicle said Mapuranga is a known con-artist and is alleged to be a briefcase businessman in some circles.

Police said both parties in the matter faced arrest as they got into a deal to illegally trade in foreign currency.

“While the complainant lost his money in this case, both he and the accused person have a case to answer. They were both engaged in illegal forex dealing. The complainant got his money stolen during an illegal transaction. So as police we will do our job and arrest both the complainant and accused person as both their actions breached the law. People get into all sorts of shady dealings and it is all good. When they turn against each other in their illegal transactions, they now want to involve the police. The long arm of the law must reach out to both of them in respective degrees,” said Inspector Ncube.

Inspector Ncube urged the public to desist from entrusting their funds with illegal foreign currency dealers, whom he said have been involved in a number of criminal activities in the city.

He said people risked being given fake money while some risked being mugged, hijacked and followed by the illegal dealers, whom he said sometimes worked with robbers.

@andile Tshuma