DPCI determined to deal with national priority offences

Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, says members of the DPCI are determined to deal with national priority offences.

“Their persistence led to securing the attendance in court of at least 724 suspects, which is made of 705 natural persons and 19 juristic persons,” Lebeya said.

Briefing media in Pretoria on Monday to outline progress made in the third quarter of the 2023/24 financial year, Lebeya said 229 accused persons, which is made of 220 natural persons and nine juristic persons, were convicted and sentenced.

“The top five national priority offences that contributed a high number of arrests are 156 for fraud, including 15 companies; 64 for precious metals and diamonds; 67 for narcotics; 51 for non-ferrous metals and 51 for corruption,” Lebeya said.

Lebeya said during the arrests, the DPCI seized various exhibits, including precious metals and diamonds, endangered species, vehicles, cash, firearms, ammunition, counterfeit goods, explosives and electronic devices worth R102 614 521.89.

“Out of the 229 convictions, fraud contributed the highest number of convictions, with a total number of 63. Precious metals and diamonds are the second highest, with a total number of 45 accused persons.      

“Over and above arrests and convictions, the Directorate, in collaboration with the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), secured 92 orders with a monetary value of R39 642 652.71,” Lebeya said.

Lebeya used the opportunity to warn criminals attacking police officers that the law will not have mercy on them.

“An attack on police official is an attack on the State, and the death of one police official, who is the protector of all the people in South Africa, is unacceptable,” he said.

Lebeya said 22 police officials were murdered in the third quarter, 12 off duty and 10 on duty, and that 12 arrests were effected.

As part of successes in apprehending those that are attacking police officers, three accused persons were convicted and sentenced to share four life imprisonment and 38 years imprisonment terms.

“This sentence serves as a deterrent to other would-be criminals that under the doctrine of common purpose, not only will the accused be held liable and charged for the murder of police officers, but also for the murder of their accomplices who died during a crossfire with the police.

“The crimes that your co-perpetrator commits are imputed on you. If the crimes committed results in the death of a co-perpetrator, the surviving co-perpetrator will be charged with the death of his or her co-perpetrator, regardless of the fact that the death may have been inflicted by the victim,” he said.

Crimes against the State

With regards to crimes against the State, Lebeya cited an incident which took place in July 2021, where a video clip inciting people to burn and loot the Brookside Mall in Pietermaritzburg was circulated on social media platform. The perpetrator was arrested on 28 August 2021.

The Hawks initiated investigations and identified the author of the video clip as Mdumiseni Khetha Zuma (36). He was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal, where his bail was also denied.

Zuma was sentenced to10 years imprisonment for the first count, of which two years was suspended for five years, on condition that he is not convicted of the same offence during the period of suspension.

He was further sentenced to six years imprisonment on a second count, of which two years is to run concurrently with the sentence on the first count.

“We may recall that 65 alleged July unrest instigators were secured to appear in court on charges of conspiracy to commit public violence, incitement to commit public violence and incitement to commit arson.

“A charge of terrorism has been added. All the accused are on bail and the case is postponed to 8 April 2024 at the Durban Local Division of the High Court,” Lebeya said.

With regards to illegal miners, Lebeya said there have been some successes. On 24 November 2023, three suspects — Progress Bayeni Mlambo (42), Leornard Moyo (46) and Kocanai Sithole (26) — were arrested by a team comprising Welkom-based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Hawks’ Head Office Precious Metals & Diamonds (PMD) team, Public Order Police and Protea Coin Security. 

“Information about the accused exchanging gold for cash between the Free State and Gauteng led the investigators to seek a search and seizure warrant. They had their eyes set squarely on a certain house in Parys, where these illegal activities were said to be taking place.

“The suspects appeared before the magistrate in Parys on 27 November 2023 for contravention of the Precious Metals Act 37 of 2005, and again on 29 January 2024,” Lebeya said.

Lebeya described human trafficking as modern-day slavery and a crime against humanity.

“South Africa has not been spared this twin-pandemic of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants,” he said.

During this reporting period, 19 potential victims of trafficking in persons were rescued. Three foreign nationals were convicted, while four suspects were arrested.

Lebeya said 16 awareness campaigns were pro-actively conducted and 17 disruptive operations were reactively conducted. – SAnews.gov.za