Two additional suspects arrested in coltan scam syndicate
On Monday, March 17, 2025, Snyman Shannen Shanel (33) and Mulimbi Kalume Alex (42) appeared before the Johannesburg Specialized Commercial Crimes Court at Palm Ridge, facing charges of fraud and money laundering.
Their arrests occurred on Friday, March 14, 2025, during an operation led by the 419 Task Team in Sandton.
This development follows the arrest of Georgie Maureen Da Lanca, also known as “Lisa,” on March 10, 2025, in connection with a fraudulent coltan deal that resulted in a R250,000 loss for a victim. The victim was deceived into making payments for a cross-border certificate and code activation, only to later discover discrepancies indicating a scam.
Investigations revealed that the R250,000 deposited into an FNB account was subsequently transferred across three accounts, including those belonging to Da Lanca and Shanel. Da Lanca has been identified as a central figure in a coltan syndicate implicated in defrauding numerous victims across Johannesburg.
Co-accused Tony Bradley was arrested in November 2022 and granted bail of R5,000 in December 2022. Da Lanca’s case has been postponed to March 19, 2025, for a formal bail application. Shanel was granted bail of R5,000, while Alex’s case has been postponed to March 25, 2025, for a formal bail application.
