Concerted efforts to eradicate corruption within civil society and state departments yielded positive results during an integrated joint court-driven operation involving various departments, including SAPS specialised units such as, Cyber Crime, Crime Intelligence and Provincial Commercial Crime Investigations as well as the Department of Transport, Western Cape, yesterday, 18 February 2022.
SAPS Operation Vura, which was initiated in July 2021 by Western Cape Provincial Detectives’ Commercial Crime Investigation in collaboration with Crime Intelligence and the Western Cape department of Transport as a court-driven initiative, culminated with the takedown of nine (9) suspects between the ages 34 and 61 on Friday, 18 February 2022. These arrests includes employees from the Oudtshoorn Traffic department as well as the owner and employees attached to a local Driving School based in Oudtshoorn. These arrests stems from covert operations done over a period of time based on allegations that the arrestees all forms part of an organized syndicate whereby learner and or driver’s licences were issued to applicants in return for gratification, using the local driving school.
Armed with search and seizure warrants, the integrated team pounced on the Oudtshoorn driver licence offices as well as houses of identified suspects to execute the arrests. Subsequent to the arrests they also seized a Mercedes 14 ton truck, a sedan motor vehicle, cell phones, computer equipment and an undisclosed amount of cash, all directly linked to the illicit transactions.
The suspects who are all in police custody are scheduled to make their first court appearance in the Oudtshoorn Magistrates’ court on Monday, 21 February 2022. Due to the extent of the offences committed, bail will certainly be opposed. The accused face charges related to, but not limited to the Contraventions of the Road Traffic Act, Fraud, Corruption and Contravention of POCA which amounts to money laundering.
Western Cape Provincial management has lauded all the members involved for their diligence and commitment to bring these suspects too book. Their illicit acts and greed contributes to the endangerment to all road users and pedestrians alike.
Source: South African Police Service