A long-term surveillance operation enabled the Force Crime Intelligence Unit (FCIU) at Central Barracks to get their hands on an alleged crook on Thursday April 25. Police arrested Kavin Munsaram, 32, who is suspected of offering fictitious excursion packages to vacationers in the north of the island. It had been going on since last year. Its modus operandi: solicit payments in advance from tourists for booking picnics, sea trips, diving, among others, at attractive prices. Once the money was pocketed, it disappeared.
The tourism police have recorded at least eight complaints against this resident of Pointe-aux-Piments since 2023. Police units in the north have recorded several complaints accusing him of scams. He would have offered tourists catamaran trips or picnics in various regions of the island. Tourists could not provide the identity of the suspect because he did not provide a name.
To gain the trust of tourists on the beaches in the north of the island, he highlighted photos of sea trips. He said that he had organized them. In addition, it offered attractive prices. He always requested payment in advance to make reservations. It was particularly prevalent in Trou-aux-Biches, Grand-Baie, Pointe-aux-Piments and Pointe-aux-Canonniers.
The police had information indicating that he was in Pointe-aux-Piments. A team from the FCIU has set up surveillance since last weekend. On Thursday April 25, the police arrested him. Investigators at the Trou-aux-Biches station, where five cases of fraud have been recorded against him since 2023, questioned him. He will then be questioned by the Pointe-aux-Canonniers criminal brigade.
He is the subject of denunciations for similar offenses in this locality. “Li a tourist, li pran larzan lavanss, apre li disparet”, confide investigators. “Li pa pran reservasyon ar morisyen ditou…”, note the investigators. He responded to fraud in court on Friday April 26. He is in detention.
