Police raid uncovers dye-stained cash in Delmore Park, Ekurhuleni

The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) and South African Police Service (Saps) recovered more than R4 000 in dye-stained cash notes in Delmore Park, Ekurhuleni, on Thursday.

A 35-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property.

According to the EMPD, an interim joint operation between the two law enforcement offices was established after they received intelligence about a suspect who was harbouring unlawful firearms and ammunition at his residences.

House raided

The offices proceeded to the suspect’s given address, where a house on Impangela Street was raided.

“The male occupant, found on the premises during the brief visit, couldn’t give clear answers when officers uncovered R200, R100, and R50 dye-stained cash notes, amounting to four thousand one hundred and fifty rands (R4150),” the EMPD said.

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The suspect was subsequently detained and taken to the Reiger Park Police Station. He is expected to appear at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court soon.

According to the South African Reserve Bank (Sarb), a banknote is deemed dye-stained when it displays staining patterns from a currency degradation system.

“Proceeds of crime’

“These devices degrade banknotes, making them unusable and discouraging criminals from stealing them. As these banknotes are considered the proceeds of crime, they have no value and cannot be exchanged,” Sarb said.

“Dye-stained banknotes should under no circumstances be accepted. Members of the public who unwittingly come into possession of these banknotes cannot claim them from the SARB and are advised to hand in these banknotes at their nearest police station.”

In September last year, a 28-year-old man was arrested in Vlakfontein, Lenasia South, and the police seized an AK-47 rifle and an undisclosed amount of dye-stained cash.

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“The members from K9 Sedibeng, Rapid Response Soweto, and the Anti-Gang Unit operationalised information about a man suspected to be involved in robberies and also in possession of a firearm at a certain house,” the Gauteng police said.