Money laundering, fraud and drug-related cases are what kept the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks) busy in the first quarter of the financial year.
This was revealed by Hawks head, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya during a fifth public update of the successes achieved by the elite policing unit for the first quarter of the financial year.
Lebeya assured the public that members were “hard at work” in dealing with national priority offences which led to the arrest of at least 611 suspects across the country during this period.
Of the 229 suspects that were convicted and sentenced, 16 were sentenced for money laundering offences.
In outlining numbers, Lebeya said the majority of the suspects — a total of 203 — were arrested on fraud-related charges.
A total of 48 people were arrested for money laundering, while 72 suspects were arrested for narcotics and endangered species.
“The remaining 288 suspects were arrested for the other 17 types of national priority crimes,” he said.
Lebeya said during the arrests, the Hawks seized various exhibits, including precious metals and diamonds, endangered species, vehicles, cash, firearms, ammunition, counterfeit goods, explosives and electronic devices worth R 6,112,768,985.
Sixty-four people were also convicted in crimes relating to the Covid-19 Relief Fund.
Lebeya said the signing of a new memorandum of understanding between the Hawks and South African Revenue Service (Sars) was effective in fighting crimes.
“This important accord boosts the ability of the country’s law enforcement agencies to enhance (this fight against) corruption, contraventions of tax laws, money laundering and other financial crimes,” said Lebeya.
He cited a case in the Free State where a 57-year-old man was found guilty of defrauding Sars of R1.2 million.
Between 2017 and 2019, Mosebetsi Samuel Mosia, a member of Elegant Line Trading 570 CC, misrepresented the facts in the tax returns of the corporation to the Sars.
He was found guilty in the Bethlehem Regional Court on April 18.
Lebeya said Elegant Line Trading 570 CC was sentenced to a fine of R5 million, which is wholly suspended for a period of five years,while Mosia was sentenced to five years imprisonment, which is suspended for five years.
Mosia was further instructed to repay Sars the VAT amount of R372,972.03 on or before September 30 and further repay Sars income tax of an amount of R853,194.86 on or before September 30.
IOL News