Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya outlined on Friday the steps being taken to capacitate the Hawks’ workforce as concern about rising organised crime sweeps the country.

Three provincial heads – Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Northern Cape – were filled after a six-month selection process which included vetting, Cabinet Ministerial decision and months of familiarisation of the new incumbents before the departure of the exiting officers.

Lebeya said 14 brigadiers had also been appointed and ten remaining posts would be filled as soon as possible.

“We have also approved the appointment of 263 members on a production level with effect from the 1st of March 2023. The directorate will also continue to provide skills and development to members through local and international courses as well as workshops,” he said.

CRIMES AND CONVICTIONS

Lebeya noted that cash-in-transit robberies continued to be a challenge.  

He highlighted a case from May 2013 in the Western Cape, where four Fidelity guards were accosted by eight armed men and robbed of their firearms, cash and cellphones.

Three robbers were sentenced to 21, 36 and 46 years respectively after being found guilty of aggravated circumstances, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by the Khayelitsha Regional Court.

On the issue of illegal mining, Lebenya said six members of an organised criminal group were arrested and material valued at R500 000 was seized.

He said the suspects were alleged to have bought material from illegal miners before selling it to the next level of the criminal hierarchy.

In the case of fuel theft, he said five-million litres of fuel valued at about R102-million were stolen from Transnet pipelines in the last year.

“This led to the arrest of 49 suspects in the third quarter owing to the multi-disciplinary approach of operations which continues to prove to be a working formula. This brings the total number of arrests to 210 arrested suspects since December 2019 when the crime was classified as a matter requiring the attention of the DPCI. We have also secured ten convictions of accused persons,” Lebeya said.