The South African Revenue Service (Sars) achieved a number of successes last week in cracking down on fraud and corruption, including the arrest of a clearing agent for trying to bribe an official with R100 000.
Sars noted in a statement that two of its officials had turned down bribes offered to release goods that had been stopped at border posts.
On Tuesday last week, members of the Sars Tactical Intervention Unit (TIU) and the SAPS in North West arrested a clearing agent based in Benoni for offering a bribe of R100 000 to a TIU officer.
In another incident on 4 October a customs officer at Groblersbrug discovered illicit goods valued at around R5 million hidden in two containers filled with molasses from Zambia.
In total 1 021 cartons of assorted brands of cigarettes (with a street value of R2 292 386) plus 40 512 tubes of facial creams (with a street value of R2 025 600) plus 8 000 contraceptive tablets (with a street value of R680 000) were found inside two containers which were on a truck travelling through Botswana from Zambia.
The boxes of cigarettes, facial creams and contraceptives were packed on top of the molasses and were wrapped in plastic bags.
The driver offered a R10 000 bribe to the customs officer to get free passage to South Africa. However, the SAPS was informed and the driver was arrested.
The truck was detained and the illicit goods were seized.
Other successes last week included:
- Members of the customs detector dog unit at Lebombo border post discovered a number of illicit and suspected counterfeit goods hidden in a taxi and trailer entering South Africa. The vehicle was carrying second-hand clothing, shoes, sneakers, liquor, cigarettes, face creams, a rifle silencer and ammunition rounds valued at over R60 000.
- A Customs officer at the OR Tambo International Airport mail centre discovered 20kg of generic Viagra tablets valued at R4.4 million. The consignment originated in Hong Kong and was destined for Cape Town. The goods were detained and handed over to Port Health.
