By AGISANANG SCUFF
3 October 2025- A collaboration between Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s Priority Crime Specialised Investigation (PCSI) and National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture unit (AFU) bore fruits when the Northern Cape High Court sitting in Kimberley, granted the two government agencies a number of forfeiture orders against various law transgressors in the province, bringing to an end a successful month in terms of the number of orders issued in a single month.
The Hawks spokesperson in Northern Cape, Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe said during February 2024, police in Postmasburg arrested a suspect, after he sold what looked like tik and mandrax to the agent, R15 400 was seized and booked in SAP13. Thebe said a forfeiture order was granted after the two agencies applied on the basis of the funds being proceeds of crime.
“The police in Roodepan received information about a person selling dagga at a nearby farm in March 2024, Police followed up on the information and found dagga and an amount of R18 674, the suspect was arrested and the dagga and the money were seized for further investigation. Court granted a forfeiture order of the said amount.
“In another incident, the police in Kuruman received information about a person attempting to privately sell five cows to one of the community members. The following day, the concerned community member tracked the cows at a nearby abattoir, police were called to the scene and the suspect was arrested resulting in his vehicle, an Isuzu LDV worth R130 000 being confiscated,” he said.
Thebe further said after an application was lodged with the court, a forfeiture order of R130 000 was granted for the vehicle. He added that the suspect was arrested for stock theft.
“Another Isuzu bakkie worth R80 000 was forfeited to the state after being found with stolen goats in Mothibistad rural areas during February 2025. SAPS members attached to Schmidtsdrift Station stopped a Tata bakkie towing a large trailer loaded with cattle.
“Officers requested the necessary transportation permits in terms of the law, the driver could not produce the necessary documents, the vehicle was then seized for further investigation resulting in the preservation order of the vehicle worth R280 000 being granted by the court. Video footage confirming the theft of the cattle was made available,” said Thebe.
Meanwhile, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Provincial Head Major General Stephen Mabuela said: “Our proactive measures have ensured that those who do wrong don’t get to enjoy the proceeds of crime, those who allow others to use their properties such as vehicles to commit crime will also lose them.”
The Guardian 