IT WAS a bumper crop for the Customs fraud squad last week, when scams involving millions of rands were uncovered in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg within a period of a week.
In Cape Town an export scam based on falsification of export documentation followed by claims for VAT and export incentive scheme payments on the supposedly exported goods, was nipped in the bud when three of the perpetrators were arrested and charged. They are Ali Cassim of RK Investments in Pretoria; a customs officer, Werner Louw, who had been with Customs for the past 12 years; and Johan Ellis, a Cape Town businessman. Further arrests are likely to follow, according to Customs deputy director Johan Beets.
The arrests are the result of on-going investigation into a R100-million scam uncovered in Cape Town earlier this year. Customs was aware that there was a company involved, but lacked the necessary evidence. Undercover officers were sent in and produced the required proof.
While the main players have been arrested, the investigation continues, says Beets.
In another bust on Friday night in Johannesburg, 425 tons of textiles which had arrived on the so-called B-route, were seized. No arrests have been made, but investigations are in progress.
B-route imports use any of 17 known methods to defraud customs and excise of duties payable.
And Sunday night's bust in Durban revealed the sheer audacity of the criminal minds with which customs is dealing. Five containers of illegal imports seized by Customs, which could not be accommodated in the overflowing States Warehouse, were stolen from the container depot which was used to store them pending further action.
In this case it appears to be the owner of the boxes who arranged their theft in order to claim from insurance with the goods safely in his possession.
