Hawks' top 5: fraud, precious metals, drugs, CIT heists and corruption

The national priority offence that contributed to the highest number of arrests — 173 — in the second quarter of the 2023/24 financial year was fraud, Hawks boss Lt-Gen Godfrey Lebeya said on Thursday.

He was briefing the media on the Hawks' successes during the quarter.

The four other most committed crimes were illegal possession of precious metals and diamonds (172 arrests) and narcotics (52), cash-in-transit robberies (48) and corruption (37). 

Lebeya said during these arrests the Hawks seized exhibits including precious metals and diamonds, endangered species, vehicles, cash, firearms, ammunition, counterfeit goods, explosives and electronic devices worth R92.4m. 

The Hawks' efforts in combating national priority offences led to the arrest of at least 801 suspects — “791 natural people and 10 juristic people” — during the quarter.

He said 234 natural people and 10 juristic people were convicted and sentenced.

Out of 244 convictions, fraud contributed the highest number at 75 — 62 South Africans, six foreign nationals and seven companies.

“The second is precious metals and diamonds, with a total number of 51 accused people. In terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca), 30 accused people and two companies were convicted for a pattern of racketeering activity and money laundering.

“In terms of nationalities relating to conviction and sentences, 193 are South Africans while 84 are foreign nationals.

“Foreign nationals consisted of 48 Zimbabweans, seven Chinese, seven Mozambicans, four Nigerians, three Tanzanians, three Basotho, three Pakistanis, three Ethiopians, two Bangladeshis, two Zambians, one Canadian and one Ghanaian,” he said.

The Hawks collaborated with other law enforcement agencies, including Sars. Between April 1 and August 30 they achieved 35 convictions for tax-related offences.

Lebeya said sentences included orders of payment of R11.65m in total to Sars.

He said the Hawks are investigating 716 Sars-related matters. “Of these cases, 223 are pending in court, 263 are under investigation while 230 are pending a decision by the National Prosecuting Authority.”

In one of the cases, Nana Perseverance Magubane, 43, was arrested by the Hawks’ Durban-based serious commercial crime investigation team after discrepancies were discovered by Sars.

She submitted fraudulent invoices to Sars which resulted in an a loss of R3.7m.

Magubane was charged with six counts of fraud and pleaded guilty.

She was convicted by the Durban magistrate's court and on July 17 was sentenced to a R300,000 fine and a further four years' imprisonment which is suspended.

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