Since the opening of Cashwiz on April 22, three persons have been taken into police custody for selling stolen items to the business.{{more}}
Cashwiz general manager Andrew French made the disclosure to SEARCHLIGHT during an interview on Tuesday.
Located on the first floor of the building that formerly housed Square Deal Shippers on Sharpe Street, CashWiz provides customers with cash on the spot for items that are approved for purchase by the company.
French revealed that the items, which were bought between May and as late as last Friday, were electronic items and power tools.
The general manager said the company does not tolerate such actions and remains committed to working in conjunction with the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force to bring to justice anyone guilty of selling stolen items to the store.
He explained that persons seeking to conduct business with Cashwiz are required to carry one piece of identification and be prepared to have their fingerprint taken.
âSome people may say that Cashwiz is encouraging stealing, but no matter what type of business you are into, if someone knows that you have something they want, they are going to try and steal it.
âAnd at the same time, we help to capture the perpetrator(s), because we have all their information and once the police come to this store and inquire about an item that is stolen, we co-operate,â French said.
âOnce that stolen item matches the description of any we have in the store, we hand over all information to the police,â he added.
On Friday, June 14, a male individual was arrested in the Cashwiz store for selling a laptop that was stolen in March.
According to French, the individual walked into the store with a laptop in May, with the intention of taking advantage of the buyback option.
The Cashwiz buyback option allows a customer to earn cash without selling their item.
The item is valued and the price is paid to the customer. The item is then stored at the store for a period of 30 days, after which the customer has to pay storage fee of $25 on every $100 dollars given by Cashwiz.
âI asked him if he was the owner and he replied that he was selling it for someoneâ¦
âI told him that if he knows itâs stolen and the police finds out, we will co-operate with the police. He said no, itâs not stolenâ¦.â French said.
On June 10, French said that another individual walked into the store and saw the laptop and said it resembled one he had.
The general manager said he requested proof from the person who immediately did so.
âThe laptop owner told me there was a specific mark on the item and in checking, I found that mark. I, however, asked if they had the box the item was bought in and they said yes.
âI then told him to go home and check the serial number and return the following day with the information.â
French said the individual returned the next day (Tuesday, June 11) with the box bearing the serial number that matched that of the laptop.
He said the police was called in on the matter and all the information collected from the person who sold the item was handed over.
Up until last Friday though, French said the police had not yet apprehended the suspect.
French said he then formulated a âbrilliantâ plan that led the suspect to the store, and allowed the police to arrest him.
âI called him and I said, listen, you have an item here that you need to redeem or forfeit.
âWhat is it going to be?â
In response, French said the individual told him that he didnât have the cash to pay and must go ahead and sell.
âI told him, listen, this is what I am going to do for you. Why donât you come in and pay the service charge.â
The individual agreed and upon his arrival, French called the police and the individual was escorted from the Cashwiz store in handcuffs.
âI hope this serves as an example to others who attempt to do the same. As mentioned before, we work closely with the police and will not tolerate such actions,â French stated.
When contacted on Wednesday morning, the police confirmed that three persons had been arrested and charged for stolen items that were resold to Cashwiz.
On June 22, the company celebrates its second month since opening its doors here.(AA)
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