The suspected were apprehended during an operationconducted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation and the Hawks’ Electronic Crime Unit, in conjunction with Eskom’s Group Security Investigation team, said the Hawks spokesperson Captain Paul Ramaloko.
This comes after Eskom’s investigation team unearthed some suspicious fraudulent activities within their Information Technology (IT) department and alerted the Hawks.
A two-month joined investigation identified two suspects, aged 27 and 29, who had interfered with Eskom’s payroll network system which would have compromised billions, Ramaloko said.
They were arrested on 21 November at Eskom’s training facility in Midrand while on duty.
According to Ramaloko, the pair then led the team to their 32-year-old suspected ring leader who was also arrested at Meredale, south of Johannesburg, after being questioned.
The team searched the suspects’ residential properties seizing several computers, cellphones and other devices suspected to have been used in the crime.
