The story of a crime lord, a detective, and a lawyer in South Africa’s criminal underworld is filled with deception, betrayal, and digital manipulation. Advanced digital tracking systems were used to stalk and attempt to assassinate targets, highlighting the need for strong cyber laws and digital forensic capabilities. The tale shines a spotlight on individuals who continue to pursue justice despite threats to their own lives and reminds us that the battle against organized crime is far from over.
Learn about the chilling tale of a seemingly invincible crime lord, a seasoned detective, and a criminal attorney in South Africa’s criminal underbelly. The narrative is filled with deception, betrayal, and lethal digital interference that has reverberated across the Western Cape. Find out how the criminal network deployed advanced digital tracking systems to stalk their targets and the critical need for strong cyber laws and digital forensic capabilities to safeguard citizens.
South Africa’s criminal underbelly is home to a chilling tale of a seemingly invincible crime lord, a seasoned detective, and a criminal attorney. The narrative is filled with deception, betrayal, and lethal digital interference that has reverberated across the Western Cape. In the seemingly quiet suburb of Bishop Lavis, life for Anti-Gang Unit Detective Charl Kinnear was far from peaceful. Kinnear, a man deeply dedicated to justice, found himself in the crosshairs of unseen enemies. An onslaught of over a hundred daily phone pings haunted his final days, culminating in a tragic, brutal assassination outside his home. Tracing the digital clues left behind unravelled the chilling truth of a sinister stalking epidemic.
Among those targeted was William Booth, a prominent criminal lawyer. His phone was pinged over 300 times before an unsuccessful assassination attempt at his Higgovale residence. The convoluted conspiracy was illuminated through the testimonies of a former gangster and self-confessed hitman, known only as ‘Mr. A’ to protect his identity. ‘Mr. A’ disclosed his unsuccessful efforts to end Booth’s life, inadvertently revealing the devious strategies adopted by the criminal network. Allegedly, the locations for these assassination attempts were provided by Ziyaad Poole, a co-conspirator of notorious underworld figure, Nafiz Modak. Interestingly, each assassination attempt was thwarted by the most trivial factors, with one instance involving the hitman falling asleep on the job.
A court hearing revealed that Zane Kilian, another accomplice of Modack’s, utilised the illicit technique of phone pinging to track Booth. This advanced digital tracking system was also deployed on Kinnear, with both men’s phones being pinged consistently throughout the day and into the early hours of the morning.
Former police officer Bradley Goldblatt lent his expert perspective into the treacherous realm of digital warfare. He verified the illegal usage of the LAD system to track phones, confessing his prior awareness of the imminent danger to Kinnear’s life. Nonetheless, despite his earnest warnings to the Hawks, his alerts appeared to have been ignored.
Captain Edward Du Plessis chillingly recounted the frequency with which Booth’s phone was pinged – an astonishing 344 times. Out of these, a successful ping was achieved 235 times, beginning from March 6th, 2020. A mere three days later, Booth received 14 pings in a single day. On March 14th, 2020, Booth’s phone was pinged 49 times. The daily frequency of pings decreased slightly only following the unsuccessful attempt on his life on April 9th, 2020.
The narrative turned even more sinister when it was revealed that Kinnear was pinged no less than 40 times each day, with 35 pings recorded on the day of his murder. After his tragic end, the pings to his number abruptly ceased.
This tale unveils an alarming reality about the growing threat of digital crimes. It underscores the critical need for strong cyber laws and digital forensic capabilities to safeguard citizens. Additionally, it shines a spotlight on the courageous individuals who, undeterred by threats to their own lives, continue their pursuit for justice. It serves as a harsh reminder that the battle against organised crime is far from over. However, with unwavering determination and relentless pursuit, justice has a chance to triumph.
The story is about a crime lord, a detective, and a lawyer in South Africa’s criminal underworld and their tale of deception, betrayal, and digital manipulation.
The criminal network deployed advanced digital tracking systems to stalk and attempt to assassinate their targets. Zane Kilian, an accomplice of the crime lord, used the illegal LAD system to track the phone of the targeted lawyer. This system was also used on the detective Charl Kinnear.
The criminal network targeted the detective Charl Kinnear and the criminal lawyer William Booth by pinging their phones over 100 and 300 times respectively before assassination attempts were made on them.
The chilling tale highlights the critical need for strong cyber laws and digital forensic capabilities to safeguard citizens from digital crimes like tracking and stalking.
The story highlights the courageous individuals who continue their pursuit for justice undeterred by threats to their own lives. These individuals include the detective Charl Kinnear and the former police officer Bradley Goldblatt.
The story serves as a reminder that the battle against organized crime is far from over, but with unwavering determination and relentless pursuit, justice has a chance to triumph.
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