The who's who of criminals wanted in SA

28 June 2015 - 02:04 By JAN BORNMAN

South Africa has its fair share of criminals on Interpol's red list after they skipped the country to avoid justice for a range of crimes including murder, rape and fraud. Jurgen Vandekeere has been a fugitive from justice since fleeing South Africa before his trial was due to start in September 2013 for the rape and murder of 20-year-old Chantelle Barnard.story_article_left1And although Vandekeere's attempt to evade arrest took him via Mozambique to Belgium, a private detective now suspects he is back in South Africa, hiding in Benoni on the East Rand.Chantelle's mother, Suzette, said she did no know how he got bail. "I warned them. He has family in Belgium and he has money. I knew he would try and escape, but they didn't listen to me," she said.Vandekeere, 37, is one of at least 50 people on Interpol's Red Notice list who are wanted for a range of crimes allegedly committed in South Africa.They include:• Johannes Gerhardus Janse van Vuuren, who fled South Africa after his trial was due to start in May 2013 for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Andrea Venter, in July 2011. Janse van Vuuren is thought to be hiding out in Brazil;• Anthony Brian Lansdell, who fled the country in 2011 after the South African Revenue Services opened a case of tax fraud against him involving more than R40-million;• Zhou Xhichao Xhichou and Yu Chen Chao, two Chinese citizens who were charged with environmental crimes, including abalone poaching, and also face charges of racketeering under the prevention of organised crime laws. The two men were released on bail and fled the country;mini_story_image_hleft1• Mrewa Ruth, a Zimbabwean, and Osa Ogbechi, a Nigerian, who had charges of fraud opened against them at the Milnerton police station for their alleged involvement in online dating scams, fraudulent lottery scams and fraudulent inheritance scams. They were released on bail and have since evaded arrest;• Neville Buxmann, who was convicted of 210 counts of fraud and sentenced to six years' imprisonment in August 2003 after defrauding his employer for more than two years. He lodged an appeal against his conviction, but the appeal failed and he was instructed to report for prison. He failed to do so and has since been on the run;• Mduduzi Zakhele Nhlapo, who was allegedly part of a syndicate that stole identities and cloned bank cards. He was charged with fraud and forgery, but disappeared. The crimes were committed between 2011 and 2013; and• Antonie van der Merwe, who was involved in a car crash in September 2005 that killed four people. He was charged with murder, but managed to evade arrest and is suspected of fleeing the country. He has dual South African and Namibian citizenship.Brigadier Vish Naidoo said an Interpol Red Notice allowed member countries to arrest suspects sought by other member countries."When such a person is detected in a particular country, he or she would be arrested, followed by an extradition process, to be sent back to the country where he or she is being sought."Chantelle Barnard disappeared on April 1 2011 when she dropped off keys at the home of Vandekeere's father, who was the landlord of the townhouse where she had been staying. She lived there with her boyfriend and his mother.block_quotes_start I was furious that he would do something like that to my little girl block_quotes_endWhen Chantelle did not return home, her mother went to the police. They spotted her daughter's car at the townhouse where Vanderkeere lived. Suzette did not believe his story that Chantelle had left with two other men.Hours later, her daughter's naked body with multiple stab wounds was found in the living room."I was furious that he would do something like that to my little girl," said Suzette.story_article_right2Vandekeere was arrested and appeared in court a few days later.After a failed bid for bail, he approached the high court, where he was eventually granted bail. Vandekeere fled the country shortly thereafter."I feel like I'm letting my daughter down, like I'm not doing enough to try and track down this man," Suzette said. "It has been four years and he still hasn't paid for what he did to my daughter."Deon Pieterse, the private detective hired by a family member, said Vandekeere was spotted at Barnard's grave shortly after her burial. He was then spotted in Mozambique in 2013, and he has now been seen a few times in Johannesburg."My information suggests he's been back in South Africa for about six weeks, but the reason he wasn't flagged at a port of entry is because he has definitely been using a false passport," said Pieterse."But we can't move, because an informant told me he carries around a firearm, so we have to be 100% certain of our facts."bornmanj@sundaytimes.co.za..

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