Members of the South African Police Service’s National Investigation Unit (NINU) yesterday evening arrested a Pretoria-based South African Revenue Service Customs official and two accomplices in Moreleta Park, east of Pretoria, for allegedly robbing a Chinese businessman at his home.
The 26-year-old SARS employee, who is attached to the Border Control Unit, and his two accomplices aged 29 and 30 respectively, allegedly parked their vehicle at a local petrol station and took a taxi to their intended victim’s home, which is situated in a secure complex in Moreleta Park.
The SARS official, dressed in his official customs uniform, and with one of his accomplices wearing a SARS custom’s bib arrived at the complex and went straight to the businessman’s house, knocked at the door and introduced themselves as SARS officials.
Unbeknown to them, police who had already been tipped-off; opened for them and arrested them on the spot. One of them tried to escape, but was chased and rearrested just 75 metres away from the complex.
The police found that the 29-year-old suspect was out on bail after he was arrested in Bronkhorstspruit for impersonating a SARS official, possession of police’s appointment certificate and fraud. He is still due to appear in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrates’ Court on July 30, 2014.
The police took the suspects back to where they had parked their vehicle and, upon searching it, they recovered a pellet gun that resembles an authentic 9mm pistol, more than R7000,00 mostly in hundred rand notes, dyed notes and SARS documents. The police also confiscated the uniform from the SARS employee and SARS bib from his accomplice.
The suspects have been charged with robbery and are in custody. They will appear in the Pretoria Regional Court on July 10, 2014.