Police launch hot pursuit over bogus mineral dealers

Police have launched hot pursuit over deceitful mineral dealers who are reported to swindle foreign brokers in precious mineral exchange to bring them to justice, reports Anna Nkinda of the Police Force.

The Assistant Commissioner of Police, who is also the spokesperson for the force, Esaka Mugasa told reporters in Dar es Salaam last Friday that his office had received complaints from foreign victims who spend large sums of money without getting the genuine stuff from their local business counterparts.

``The police force has learnt about some clandestine operations of a bunch of conmen pretending to be authorised mineral dealers.

The fake dealers conclude their deals including facilitating acquisition of gold, copper and other precious minerals after which they invite their targeted clients to the country,`` Mugasa explained.

He said the police are gathering information in connection with the counterfeit business transactions, to make sure all suspects implicated in the scam were identified for appropriate legal measures.

Mugasa urged both local and foreign dealers who were swindled to come forward and report to the police headquarters or any other nearby police station to furnish the police with valid information, for immediate response and crackdown operation.

He said the police force decided to act decisively to stop the deals by a few unscrupulous individuals inclined to tarnish the image of the country.

The police spokesperson said other tricks involved winning the confidence of foreign dealers, through arrangements of reservations for accommodation by the conmen to make them believe they were in safe hands.

Some fake contracts were signed to authenticate the transactions include introducing the visitors to local `retailers` for the accomplishment of all anticipated arrangements,? Mugasa clarified.

At the end, the entire `business deal`, was a total deceit and absolute loss to the foreigners, some of whom fly back home happily without knowing that the stuff in their possession was nothing but worthless muck, said Mugasa.