Cape Town – An eighth South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member has been arrested for cross-border crimes by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).
The 30-year-old suspect appeared in the Musina Magistrate’s Court yesterday following his arrest on Wednesday in the Northern Cape.
Under the project dubbed Night Vigil, the first seven suspects, which included two lance corporals and five privates, were arrested in the Free State, Northern Cape and North West on June 21 during a sting operation between the Hawks, National Intervention Unit and SANDF members.
The accused were deployed at the Beitbridge border post between 2017 and 2019. It is alleged that during their deployment period, they plotted with syndicates to smuggle stolen vehicles through the Limpopo river in exchange for money, said Hawks spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke.
It is further alleged that the suspects would demand R15 000 per vehicle that would be shared among themselves.
The other seven accused are out on R3 000 bail each and will appear in court again on October 25.
Last month, an SANDF soldier captured intoxicated in a video was arrested and demoted for unseemly behaviour in uniform.
Corporal PN Ngcobo, a reserve force member, who was dressed in full SANDF camouflage gear, was arrested by the military police on August 21 in Thaba Tshwane.
In the video, the soldier is seen at the corner of a busy street, unable to stand straight. He is seen saluting someone off camera, with a mask sitting below his chin.
Later in the video, the soldier is seen being escorted away by metro police officers
IOL