Suspects linked to over R600 million SARS fraud arrested

Seven of the nine suspects who were on the wanted list of the Hawks, for a multi-million rand worth of fraud have been apprehended. They were arrested by Serious Corruption Investigation detectives on 6 and 7 June 2024. The four females and three males are current and former employees of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), who were arrested in Limpopo, Gauteng, Free State, and the Eastern Cape.

The suspects will appear in the Ladybrand Magistrates Court on Monday, 10 June 2024, facing charges of fraud, money laundering, contravention of the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011, contravention of the Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964, and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998. The arrest of two outstanding wanted suspects is imminent.

SARS confirms that five of these employees went through the disciplinary process and were found guilty and dismissed. Two employees resigned, pending the disciplinary process. One employee who went through the same process was issued with a final written warning and the other two of the nine are currently undergoing the disciplinary process.

It is alleged that the employees were stationed at Ficksburg Bridge, Maseru Bridge and Vanrooyenshek Bridge where they facilitated 333 transactions amounts to R653 500 455-28. All identified transactions were imported consignments/cargo (textile) in bond (Removal in Bond) from the Durban port of entry to be exported from the Free State Border Post (Maseru Bridge).

The Hawks, working together with the Anti-corruption Investigation unit of SARS, presented a watertight case before the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The NPA welcomes the arrests of the accused and it envisages that these arrests will send a clear message to other perpetrators of corruption and fraud-related offences.