A 34-year-old woman was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday after disembarking from a Qatar Airways flight, and she is now set to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. The arrest followed a thorough investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, who have charged her with offenses related to the Electronic Communications Act and Cybercrimes Act.
According to Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani, the woman is accused of being involved in a fraudulent scheme that saw her clone bank cards, causing significant financial loss to victims. It is alleged that between 2017 and 2018, while employed at a car rental service at Cape Town International Airport, the woman compromised customers’ banking details. She reportedly passed this sensitive information on to a criminal syndicate, which then used it to manufacture cloned cards.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims of this scam suffered a collective financial loss of around R400,000. As the case grew in complexity, it was referred to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team for further probing. Hani confirmed that while the woman will appear in court in Kempton Park, she is set to be transferred back to Cape Town, where she will face formal charges related to the crime.
In a separate but equally concerning case, another suspect linked to a significant money laundering and estate theft scandal appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court earlier this week. Wandile Hlongwana, 24, was arrested on January 16, 2025, by a joint team that included Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation members from Bellville, Doornkop SAPS, Vusela Security, and Cape Town Crime Intelligence.
Hlongwana is the second person to be arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation, which revolves around the theft of an estate and related money laundering activities. The primary suspect in the case is Keshika Naidoo from Jadoo and Associates, who is believed to be at the heart of the criminal operation. Authorities are continuing to investigate the matter, with further arrests possible as the investigation unfolds.
Both cases highlight the growing concerns around cybercrime and financial fraud in South Africa, with law enforcement agencies ramping up efforts to tackle these sophisticated and damaging crimes. The Hawks’ investigations into commercial crime are increasingly focused on dismantling criminal networks operating within the country, as evidenced by these high-profile arrests.
