Ethiopian national caught with 400k under a mattress
A 33-year-old Ethiopian man was arrested and charged with money laundering after he was caught with R470 000 in cash hidden under a mattress at Ha-Mabobo village near the Elim complex, Limpopo. The man was also caught with a money-counting machine.
A police operational team, which was conducting patrols, noticed a suspicious vehicle. Upon conducting a search, officers discovered that the vehicle was transporting over 40 cartons of illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of R8,000. The suspect was immediately apprehended and led officers to a nearby house in Ha-Mabobo village.
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Upon further investigation inside the house, officers uncovered R470 000 in cash, hidden a mattress, as well as a money-counting machine. The suspect was arrested on charges of Dealing with Illicit Cigarettes and Money Laundering. He was taken into custody at Waterval SAPS.
MONEY LAUNDERING CASE OF MONEY FOUND UNDER A MATTRESS AT AN ETHIOPIAN MAN’S HOUSE
The suspect made a brief appearance before Waterval Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody until 23 January for further investigation.
In addition to the arrests, the operation also led to the apprehension of two males for contravening immigration laws. The arrests took place at Bungeni village. The suspects were found working illegally at a brickyard company. The company owner was issued a fine for employing illegal immigrants.
