Men caught smuggling millions at Cape Town Airport, forfeits R200,000.
Image: File Photo
A man who attempted to smuggle millions in cash out of South Africa has been convicted and ordered to forfeit R200,000 to the Criminal Asset Recovery Account, following his arrest at Cape Town International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Dubai with undeclared currency.
Mohammed Ameen was minutes away from boarding a flight to Dubai when customs officials, acting on a tip-off, discovered the hidden fortune.
The Bellville Commercial Crimes Court found Ameen guilty of contravening the Currency and Exchanges Act as well as the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), following his failed attempt to illegally move $544,200 (USD) and R2.96 million in cash across the border.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the arrest took place on October 11, 2017, in the business lounge of the international departures section, beyond customs checkpoints at Cape Town International Airport.
“Customs officials searched for his luggage and found the money in his possession. They seized the money and arrested him,” said Ntabazalila.
Under South African law, travelers may not carry more than R25,000 in cash without declaring it to customs and obtaining Treasury approval. Ameen had done neither.
Instead, he “denied having the amount of money when questioned by customs officials,” according to Senior State Advocate Denzyl Combrink, who facilitated the plea and sentencing agreement.
The State further argued that the money Ameen attempted to smuggle was likely linked to unlawful activity.
“He concealed and disguised the nature, source, location, and disposition of the cash,” said Ntabazalila.
"He also hid the true ownership of the unlawful activity as he did not reveal where he obtained it from, and to whom the money belonged."
A High Court forfeiture order issued in June 2018 secured the seizure of the entire R2.96 million and $544,200, but prosecutors successfully argued that Ameen personally benefited by R200,000 from the scheme, an amount the court has now ordered him to pay into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account.
"The State argued that the accused planned the offences with people unknown to the State, financially benefited from the crimes, had ample time to reflect on the unlawfulness of his actions and that the nature of his crimes had a severe impact on the economy," said Ntabazalila.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv. Nicolette Bell, welcomed the court’s decision and reaffirmed the NPA’s aggressive stance on financial crimes.
“The focus is not only on getting perpetrators to wear orange overalls, but also on following the money and hitting criminals where it hurts them most by taking away their ill-gotten gains,” Ntabazalila said.
In addition to the forfeiture, Ameen has been declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of the Firearms Control Act — further underscoring the seriousness of his offences.
IOL News
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