In a coordinated and multidisciplinary operation led by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), four suspects implicated in crimes of fraud and money laundering, allegedly committed in Cape Town, have been apprehended across the country.
The operation, spearheaded by the Hawks’ National Priority Violent Crime team, Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team, Priority Crime Management Centre, Crime Intelligence, and the City of Cape Town, unfolded from Sunday until Monday. According to Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, the Western Cape spokesperson for the Hawks, the suspects are accused of engaging in fraudulent activities such as the illicit purchase of vehicles, forging registration documents, and issuing fraudulent taxi permits during 2021. These activities resulted in significant financial losses for banks.
Vukubi disclosed that the investigation identified five targets, and tragically, the fifth target was assassinated in Kuils River, Cape Town, in 2023. On Sunday, a 46-year-old suspect was arrested in Boksburg, Gauteng, and is set to appear in transit at the Kempton Magistrate’s Court.
A 34-year-old man voluntarily surrendered to the Hawks and is expected to appear in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court in Cape Town on Wednesday. On Monday, a 39-year-old suspect was apprehended in Witbank, Mpumalanga, and is slated to appear in the Witbank Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The fourth suspect was also arrested on Monday in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha and is expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court. Major General Mathipa Makgato, the head of the Hawks in the Western Cape, commended the collaborative efforts of the multi-disciplinary team, expressing hope that justice will be served through the successful execution of these arrests.