Search for missing Irishman
The family of a 66-year-old Irishman who is believed to have flown to South Africa last week to meet a woman he had been chatting to online for two years, is worried after not having heard from him since.
Stanley Currie is believed to have boarded his flight on December 28‚ but has not been heard from since December 30.
His brother‚ Robert‚ took to social media to post his pictures‚ pleading for assistance.
He claimed that Stanley had bought a one-way ticket to Johannesburg.
“He hadn’t booked any accommodation over there. [He] was carrying a large amount of cash‚” Robert said‚ adding that his brother suffered from depression and a heart condition.
“This person who he was going to meet . . . no one from the family has any idea who she is and we are obviously concerned that it is a scam.”
The family had since alerted Dublin authorities. In South Africa‚ the SA Community Crime Watch group was assisting in the search.
“We are still busy with investigations. At this stage‚ we have a little information which we cannot put out to the public yet.
“But we cannot conclusively say whether he arrived in South Africa‚” the group’s spokesperson Steven King said.
“The family tried to find out what airline he used but it seems as though he missed his first flight, which had been booked by a neighbour.
“Someone else booked a second flight for him‚” King said.
The family had reportedly received little assistance from Dublin authorities.
“They have tried to open a case in Dublin but authorities there say he went on holiday willingly. The family is in distress. No case has been opened in SA yet‚” King said.
When Currie was last seen he was wearing a dark jacket and a “monkey” hat.
He has the names Mark‚ Kelly-Ann and Ann tattooed on his forearm.