A SUSPECTED cash-in-transit explosives dealer wanted in Limpopo was arrested at his home in the Northern Cape province on Thursday, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, better known as the Hawks, said.
Spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke said the 34-year-old man was nabbed in the early hours of Thursday.
He said in September 2020, the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation received intelligence about a suspect who was selling assembled explosives in Limpopo.
“The explosives were allegedly sold to cash-in-transit robbers and ATM bombers. The information was followed up and since then the suspect was on the police radar until he was arrested at his home. The arrest was made by the Hawks in collaboration with Limpopo Crime Intelligence,“ he said.
“It is believed the suspect might have been selling the explosives to the people who blasted ATMs and robbed cash delivery vehicles in some parts of Limpopo province particularly in Tzaneen and Burgersfort areas.”
The man was expected to appear in the Ritavi Magistrate’s Court today, facing charges of contravening the Explosives Act 15 of 2003.
In a separate matter, the Hawks in the Western Cape said Feng Zhu, 50, Zhou Wang Feng, 47 and Richard Rayson, 33, were sentenced at the Khayelitsha Regional Court on Monday for possession of 4600 units of abalone, which included 1098 units of cooked abalone, 1858 units of wet abalone and 1644 units of dried abalone worth R972 484.
“They pleaded guilty for landing, selling, receiving or possession of abalone, operating an illegal fish processing establishment, all in contravention of the Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1998 as well as contravening the Immigration Act 13 of 2002,” spokesperson Warrant Officer Bonnie Nxumalo said.
“The court found them guilty on all charges and Zhu was ordered to pay R100 000 into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA) whilst Zhou Wang will pay R14 620.00 into CARA. The abalone and equipment that were seized were forfeited to the state.”
Nxumalo said Zhu and Zhou Wang were each sentenced to two years imprisonment for selling and receiving or possession of abalone, a further two years wholly suspended for operating an illegal fish processing establishment and an additional term of four months imprisonment for contravening the Immigration Act.
Richard Rayson was only sentenced to a term of 12 months imprisonment wholly suspended for a period of five years for contravening the Immigration Act and was handed over to the Department of Home Affairs immigration section at Khayelitsha Regional court for deportation purposes.
IOL