Two men who ran a thriving business selling fraudulent sick notes in KwaMashu, Durban, were arrested this week after a drug addict unwittingly tipped off police, reports IOL.
The two, aged 36 and 39, who were nabbed at a shopping centre in the township, allegedly charged R100 for a one-day medical certificate and R150 for a medical note for three days of sick leave.
The certificates reportedly carried the details of legitimate medical practitioners, although it remains unclear how the information was obtained.
According to police, the men were known to conduct their business openly, including in passages within the busy centre.
A source said police had received information about the operation and deployed an undercover officer to investigate. He had then approached a known drug user and asked where he could find people selling medical certificates. The man led him directly to the unsuspecting pair, who believing they had found a new customer, gave the intermediary R50 as a token of appreciation for the business.
After they had completed and handed over the documentation to the officer, he arrested them on the spot. Authorities suspect the pair may have been operating the scheme for as long as a decade before their arrest.
One of the doctors whose details appeared on the certificates has practised in KwaMashu for more than 30 years. Responding to the incident on social media, he said the pair was exploiting the identities of legitimate doctors.
“They are selling these certificates on the street…the sale of certificates bearing my name, as well as those of several other doctors, has been going on for about 14 years,” he said.
Police have not yet released details on the men’s charges.
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