Theft of products from producer
After suffering large quantities of stock BDI Investigations was requested by a client to investigate and assist in determining as to how the stock was going missing from their factory
Consultation with the client revealed that large stock shortages were being experienced and information received was that products produced by the client were being sold in shops and the streets in and around the area of the client’s factory premises below the price to which they supplied the products to their large retail customers. The shops that were allegedly selling the products were not customers of the client.
The produced products had production codes printed on them which determined when the products were produced .These codes also provided information as to whom the products were supplied to for resale.
BDI Investigators proceeded to make use of an agent to conduct enquiries in the area and ascertain as to where the products were being sold below the price that their large retail companies purchased the products for.
Shortly after the agent was infiltrated into the area and after making enquiries a number of small shops were identified to be selling the products at the cheap price.
BDI Investigators proceeded to purchase some of the products from these small shops after which the production codes of the products were checked with the client. It was established that the products had recently been produced for large retail companies for resale. The price at which these products were being sold for at the small shops was below the price at which the large retail companies purchased the products from the client.
Armed with the knowledge of the products and product codes BDI Investigators proceeded to confront the owners of the shops with the view to establishing as to where they had purchased the products for resale.
After having interviewed the shop owners it was ascertained that all the shop owners had purchased the products from the same person, who was known to the shop owners.
The shop owners identified the person as being the owner of a refuse salvage company in the area. Details of the person and the refuse salvage company were obtained.
The agent further received information of a person selling the products on the street.
BDI Investigators contacted this person on the pretext that they were customers wishing to buy such products and arrangements were made to purchase products the following day.
The following day and Asian male met with BDI Investigators and supplied products produced by the client.
BDI Investigators identified themselves and enquired from the seller as to where he had obtained the products. The Asian male advised that he had obtained the products from his grandfather to sell.
BDI investigators interviewed the grandfather who advised he had been purchasing the products from a group of black males who supplied him products on order. The grandfather advised that the same black males were delivering products to him later that day.
The South African police were contacted and arrangements were made for the grandfather to contact BDI Investigators once the black males were at his residence with the products. The grandfather contacted BDI Investigators, who along with the SAPS apprehended the black males in possession of products produced by our client.
The suspects advised that they had purchased the items from other unknown black males.
The suspects delivered the products in a white Mazda vehicle using false registration plates. BDI investigators located the correct registration plates in the vehicle which was traced to one of the suspects. .
An alert BDI investigator however had noticed a similar motor vehicle to have been parked in the staff parking at the client’s premises.
On questioning the suspects about this they admitted that they were employed by a company that removed waste from the client’s premises. They further admitted that they had been removing the products from the client’s premises by placing the products into refuse bags and hiding the bags below waste when their truck exited the premises. The suspects also named an Asian male driver from the waste removal company as an additional suspect. The Asian male driver was arrested that same evening.
BDI Investigators thereafter set about tracing the owner of the other refuse company who had been selling the products to shops.
The owner was traced, who advised that when he proceeded to the dump he would meet up with the same suspects from the waste removal company that had been arrested where he would purchase the products and then re sell them. This further proved the link to the arrested suspects.
The suspects appeared in court where they were found guilty of theft.
Consultation with the client revealed that large stock shortages were being experienced and information received was that products produced by the client were being sold in shops and the streets in and around the area of the client’s factory premises below the price to which they supplied the products to their large retail customers. The shops that were allegedly selling the products were not customers of the client.
The produced products had production codes printed on them which determined when the products were produced .These codes also provided information as to whom the products were supplied to for resale.
BDI Investigators proceeded to make use of an agent to conduct enquiries in the area and ascertain as to where the products were being sold below the price that their large retail companies purchased the products for.
Shortly after the agent was infiltrated into the area and after making enquiries a number of small shops were identified to be selling the products at the cheap price.
BDI Investigators proceeded to purchase some of the products from these small shops after which the production codes of the products were checked with the client. It was established that the products had recently been produced for large retail companies for resale. The price at which these products were being sold for at the small shops was below the price at which the large retail companies purchased the products from the client.
Armed with the knowledge of the products and product codes BDI Investigators proceeded to confront the owners of the shops with the view to establishing as to where they had purchased the products for resale.
After having interviewed the shop owners it was ascertained that all the shop owners had purchased the products from the same person, who was known to the shop owners.
The shop owners identified the person as being the owner of a refuse salvage company in the area. Details of the person and the refuse salvage company were obtained.
The agent further received information of a person selling the products on the street.
BDI Investigators contacted this person on the pretext that they were customers wishing to buy such products and arrangements were made to purchase products the following day.
The following day and Asian male met with BDI Investigators and supplied products produced by the client.
BDI Investigators identified themselves and enquired from the seller as to where he had obtained the products. The Asian male advised that he had obtained the products from his grandfather to sell.
BDI investigators interviewed the grandfather who advised he had been purchasing the products from a group of black males who supplied him products on order. The grandfather advised that the same black males were delivering products to him later that day.
The South African police were contacted and arrangements were made for the grandfather to contact BDI Investigators once the black males were at his residence with the products. The grandfather contacted BDI Investigators, who along with the SAPS apprehended the black males in possession of products produced by our client.
The suspects advised that they had purchased the items from other unknown black males.
The suspects delivered the products in a white Mazda vehicle using false registration plates. BDI investigators located the correct registration plates in the vehicle which was traced to one of the suspects. .
An alert BDI investigator however had noticed a similar motor vehicle to have been parked in the staff parking at the client’s premises.
On questioning the suspects about this they admitted that they were employed by a company that removed waste from the client’s premises. They further admitted that they had been removing the products from the client’s premises by placing the products into refuse bags and hiding the bags below waste when their truck exited the premises. The suspects also named an Asian male driver from the waste removal company as an additional suspect. The Asian male driver was arrested that same evening.
BDI Investigators thereafter set about tracing the owner of the other refuse company who had been selling the products to shops.
The owner was traced, who advised that when he proceeded to the dump he would meet up with the same suspects from the waste removal company that had been arrested where he would purchase the products and then re sell them. This further proved the link to the arrested suspects.
The suspects appeared in court where they were found guilty of theft.