An alleged drug trafficker had his vehicle forfeited to the State after the Western Cape High Court granted the order last week.
The court granted the order to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks) Asset Forfeiture Investigation team in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit.
The provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani said this order comes after an incident that took place on April 19, 2023.
“The Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB) team received information about a Kia Sorento that was driving towards Cape Town. The information was operationalised and the vehicle was spotted in Gordons Bay. After it was pulled over, a search was conducted and 52,455 Mandrax tablets worth over R2 million were found in a hidden compartment,” Hani said.
The suspect was arrested.
The vehicle was seized and a forfeiture order was granted on the Kia Sorento worth R125,600.
The matter against Steven Mkhabela, 34, was postponed to March 25, 2025, for trial at the Khayelitsha Priority Court.
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In a separate and unrelated case, the Hawks obtained another forfeiture order, this time concerning a fraud investigation.
Hani said this comes after the arrests of two suspects on May 21, 2019, who were being investigated for fraud.
The duo were flying from Johannesburg to Cape Town with devices used to commit fraud.
“The suspects were identified, questioned, and searched. The devices and cash to the value of R39,483.60 were seized,” Hani said.
A forfeiture was granted for cash to the value of R39,483.60 to the State.
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