Crackdown on coltan scam continues as Hawks arrest two more suspects

The Hawks are closing in on suspects involved in the coltan scam syndicate, arresting two more individuals for fraud and money laundering after last week’s investigative breakthrough.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, arrested two suspects, Kalume Alex Mulimbi (42) and Shannen Shanel Snyman (33), on Friday in Sandton during an operation led by the 419 Task Team.

Authorities arrested the duo after previously apprehending Georgie Maureen Da Lanca on 10 March 2025 for her role in the scam.

Coltan: Important component in smartphones

Coltan, also known as columbium and tantalum, is a mineral mined in the eastern Congo and Rwanda. It is an important component in smartphones and consumer electronics.

The Hawks nabbed Da Lanca, also known as “Lisa”, after linking her to a case registered at Sandton police station in November 2022. Further investigations confirmed that she played a key role in the syndicate that has deceived many victims throughout Johannesburg.

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The case involved the loss of R250 000 by a complainant who was tricked into a fraudulent coltan deal by Tony Bradley, a co-conspirator.

The complainant, who had been deceived into making a payment for a cross-border certificate and code activation, later uncovered inconsistencies that confirmed the fraud.

The investigations revealed that the complainant deposited the R250 000 into an FNB account, and that money was split among three other accounts, two of which belonged to Da Lanca and Snyman.

Two more arrests made

Bradley was arrested on 18 November 2022 and was granted bail of R5 000 in December 2022.

Da Lanca made her first appearance before the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting at Palm Ridge on Wednesday, 12 March 2025. The court postponed the matter to 19 March 2025 for a formal bail application.

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Snyman and Mulimbi made their first appearance before the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting at Palm Ridge on Monday.

Snyman was granted bail of R5 000, while the case against Mulimbi is postponed to 25 March 2025 for a formal bail application.

According to independent crime investigation company IRS Forensic Investigations, the coltan scam lures people into investing in the purchase and resale of coltan.

Coltan same similar to fake diamonds, black dollars scams

The scam is similar to previous scams involving fake diamonds and black dollars.

A third party who is actually a syndicate member shows the product to potential victims, who then “independently” value it.

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Scammers then persuade their unsuspecting victims to buy the package, falsely claiming it will be resold in another country, such as Dubai. They then make further requests for specialised packaging and transport.

Amid the additional arrest of two suspects, IRS Forensic Investigations said it has been investigating the scam for quite some time, with dozens of victims coming forward with information.

The company called on the public who recognise Da Lanca, Snyman and Mulimbi and who may have been defrauded by them to contact IRS Forensic Investigations with their case numbers and police station names where they opened their case.

Call on public to come forward

“Whether the cases remain open or closed is irrelevant, as we will be making representations to the NPA to consolidate the numerous cases,” the company posted on X on Tuesday.

“We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the Gauteng Hawks for this excellent development.”

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