Photo : Hawks
A 39-year-old South African man was apprehended by Border Management Authority (BMA) officers while attempting to cross into eSwatini through the Oshoek border fence, carrying a large sum of money. Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, spokesperson for the Hawks, stated that the man was trying to scale the fence into eSwatini when alert officers stopped and searched him.
“He was found with a black plastic bag containing R424,800 in cash, which was confiscated,” Sekgotodi explained. The Hawks’ Secunda-based serious commercial crime unit took over the investigation. When questioned, the suspect could not provide a satisfactory explanation about the source and intended destination of the money.
It was further revealed that the money had not been declared in compliance with the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) 38 of 2001, specifically Section 54, read with Section 30. The man was subsequently arrested and charged with possession of suspected stolen property.
He is scheduled to appear in the Elukwatini Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. Major General Nicholas Gerber, the provincial head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, commended the BMA officers for their diligence and integrity in making the arrest.
