Nowhere to hide for high-profile criminals
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) has made significant inroads in apprehending individuals involved in high-profile cases, ensuring accountability and justice for victims.
This is according to DPCI head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, who briefed media on Thursday on the successes and progress made with regard to high-profile cases in the fourth quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year.
He said the DPCI remains committed to its mandate of investigating, preventing and combating national priority offences without fear, favour or prejudice.
A total of 656 suspects appeared before the various courts in the country during the fourth quarter. Of these arrests, 450 (74%) are South African, whereas 157 (26%) are foreign nationals.
'Of the 656 suspects, the Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI) secured 364, the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation (SCCI) secured 220, while the Serious Corruption Investigation (SCI) secured 72 suspects before court,' Lebeya said.
He said most of the arrests were effected in Gauteng with 139, North West with 99, KZN with 88, and the Eastern Cape and Free State with 73 suspects each.
'During these arrests, 395 firearms and 1 746 rounds of ammunition were seized. Seven clandestine drug laboratories were dismantled with drugs worth a total street value of R23 361 125.
'During this same period, the directorate secured convictions for 239 accused persons. A total of 266 (253 natural and 13 juristic) accused persons, including those convicted in the previous quarters, were sentenced during the quarter under review.
'Of the 253 sentenced natural persons, 139 (55%) are South Africans, while 114 (45%) are foreign nationals. Most of these convictions and sentences were secured in Gauteng,' Lebeya said.
He says of these convictions, SOCI secured 157, SCCI secured 73 and SCI secured nine.
'To ensure that crime does not pay, the Priority Crime Specialised Investigation (PCSI) has contributed towards the issuing of a combined 102 freezing and forfeiture orders amounting to R418 938 340.14.
'Of these orders, 56 were preservation orders with a monetary value of R370 952 439.49, with 45 forfeiture orders with a monetary value of R14 985 900.65 and one restraint order with a monetary value of R33 000 000,' he said.
Lebeya said an amount of R19 104 419.50 has been deposited into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account.
The Digital Forensic Investigation Section of the PCSI component of the DPCI finalised the extraction and analysis of data evidence from 324 electronic devices within 90 days during the quarter.
Attacks on police
Touching on police murders by criminals, Lebeya said an attack on police officials was an assault on society and an attack on the state.
'We categorised the killing of police officials as that national priority offence that requires the attention of the DPCI,' Lebeya said.
During this period, 22 police officials were murdered, of which 16 were off duty while six were on duty. He said 50% of these murders happened in Gauteng.
With regards to cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies, Lebeya said during the fourth quarter, 50 incidents of CIT robberies were received by the directorate.
'A total number of 28 suspects, excluding 10 who died in exchange of gunfire with the police, were arrested. It is comforting that no one was released on bail.
'Over and above this, 36 suspects were arrested in CIT-related cases, making a combined number of 64 arrests for CIT and related crime,' Lebeya said. – SAnews.gov.za
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