Customs officer arrested for allegedly soliciting bribe of R10k

A customs officer at the Cape Town International Airport was arrested for allegedly trying to solicit a bribe of R10,000.

SowetanLive reports that the customs officer had asked a man who had returned from Japan on Tuesday to pay tax duties to the tune of R42,000 for the goods he had purchased on his trip.

Police spokesperson Mihlali Majikela reportedly said the 45-year-old customs officer was arrested on charges related to fraud and corruption.

It was reported that the suspect had allegedly told the man that he could avoid paying the “excessive” R42,000 if he paid him R10,000. The man refused and eventually paid R2,000 at the customs desk.

Majikela said the man had told the customs officer that there cameras at the airport and that he could land in jail for corruption.

“The officer then advised him to pay R2,000 at the Sars desk and that he would contact him the next day for the R10,000 bribe. The complainant paid the R2,000 at the desk and left,” Majikela was quoted as saying.

A complaint was laid at the police who on the following day set up an operation to catch the customs officer.

Majikela said members of the provincial anti-corruption investigating unit conducted the operation at a coffee shop in Worcester where the complainant paid the customs officer R10,000 in cash.

“The officer, a 45-year-old male, was arrested and detained at Worcester SAPS. The money was recovered,” Majikela was quoted as saying.

The customs office is expected to appear at the Worcester Magistrate’s court on Thursday.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu.)

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