Hawks spokesperson, Tlangelani Rikhotso, tells OFM News that the three suspects will appear in the Lehurutshe Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 15 October, to face charges of fraud. She says they are now looking at the assets of the suspects in question after it appeared that the assets were acquired with the proceeds of the crime. 

Rikhotso says the suspects would process fictitious transactions for fuel that were supposedly exported by a tanker across the border post and the money involved is to the tune of R3 million.

“They were arrested following an investigation into allegations of an alleged fraud syndicate that operates in ghost exporting of fuel and they would allegedly process fictitious transactions which implied that the fuel was being exported through the border post in Skilpadshek meanwhile the fuel was not being exported," says Rikhotso.

The Hawks, together with the SARS Criminal- and Fraud Investigation units, were then approached to further investigate, which led to the arrest of the two Customs officials and a policeman on Friday.

OFM News