Six arrested as Cape Town police seize over 600 Sassa, bank cards

Six people between the ages of 18 and 59 have been arrested in Mitchell’s Plain as police seized hundreds of South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) cards.

Western Cape police spokesperson, Colonel Andrè Traut, said it was clear that the suspects were heading somewhere with the cards before being apprehended.

“The members were on crime combatting patrols in Mitchell’s Plain when two suspicious vehicles, a Toyota Avanza and a Toyota LDV drew their attention,” said Traut.

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“Both vehicles were stopped and searched, which led to the discovery of 49 Sassa cards hidden in a chocolate box in the Avanza. It was evident that the occupants of the two vehicles were in cahoots and their interrogation led the members to an address in Elbow Gardens in Rugby, where a further 191 Sassa cards were seized.”

He said that the information extracted from the suspects led them to a residence in the Bo-Kaap where a further 427 bank cards of various financial intuitions were confiscated.

The suspects will be charged for contravening the Electronic Transactions Act (No 25 of 2002).

“Many vulnerable people who are solely dependent on social grants are targeted by ruthless criminals with no regard for others, and this is one of the reasons that will make us dig deep to root out this syndicate and apprehend whoever is part of this criminal circle,” Traut said.

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