Thursday January 10, 2013

‘Catch Me If You Can’ pilot’s cheating spree ends

KUALA LUMPUR: A conman who called himself Capt Darwin and posed as a pilot saw his cheating days coming to an end when he was caught by police.

Unlike Leonardo Dicaprio’s character in Catch Me If You Can, Capt Darwin targeted men instead of women.

The 46-year-old posed as a pilot from Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Brunei Airlines to dupe more than eight victims since September last year.

He sweet-talked his victims before convincing them to buy expensive smartphones for him.

He would lead them to a hotel room in the city before giving them a “slimming pill”, which would knock out the victim.

He would then disappear with cash and other valuables.

City CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Ku Chin Wah said police finally arrested the suspect at a hotel on Jan 2 after putting him under surveillance for a few months.

“The victims claimed that they were under a spell and the suspect might have used black magic.

“His victims include a taxi driver and a technician,” he said at a press conference yesterday, adding that the suspect had been remanded until Friday.

“He robbed the victims of more than RM30,000 worth of belongings and cash.

“We believe he may have duped more than eight individuals and we urge those who have been victims to come forward,” he said.

However, SAC Ku clarified that the victims were not sexually assaulted during their “dealings” with Capt Darwin.

News

Thursday January 10, 2013

‘Catch Me If You Can’ pilot’s cheating spree ends