In the fight against illegal gambling, the Hawks in the province have arrested ten suspects and seized 281 slot machines worth approximately R10 million, 198 computers worth approximately R3.9 million and large sums of cash.
According to the NW Hawks spokesperson, Capt. Tlangelani Rikhotso, the NW Hawks dismantled ten gambling sites in various towns in the province during the termination of Project Gremlin on Monday.
She says Potchefstroom is one of the illegal gambling havens and the intelligence-driven investigations pointed to locations in Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp, Vryburg and Schweizer-Reneke where the gambling sites were shut down. Rikhotso says these success stories come after 20 illegal gambling sites were shut down in North West and the Northern Cape last week. ‘It seems that last week’s shutdowns triggered a domino effect,’ she said.
Lt Gen. Berning Ntlemeza applauded the investigation team and said illegal gambling is costing South Africa millions in tax revenue. ‘Therefore, having dismantled this many gambling sites is a job exceptionally well done by the Hawks members,’ he added. He issued a stern warning to people from other provinces who are embroiled in this illegal network. ‘The chips are down and it’s only a matter of time before we invade your town.’
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