Three suspects will be appearing before Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges related to holding onto the banking details and cards of their clients. The cash loan operators were found with 65 SASSA, bank, and EASYPAY cards of their clients and R13 960 in cash. This is in contravention of Section 40 (3) of the National Credit Act. According to the Hawks' Philani Nkwalase, the suspects are part of two different cash loan operations.

“They were arrested at the ATM making withdrawals but working for different cash loan companies. It is illegal to actually keep the particulars of clients and you would also sometimes find that the interest imposed onto people can be 100%,” explains Nkwalase.

Another three suspects were arrested in Kimberley and Upington on the same charges and are due to appear in court on Friday. They were found with 99 cards and over R30 000 in cash, combined. According to Nkwalase, the houses of all suspects were searched and financial records were seized.

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