SASSA employees nabbed in Johannesburg over card fraud
The suspects, who are all employees at a SASSA office branch in Johannesburg Central were arrested on Friday morning.
A parked SASSA vehicle. Picture: Barbara Maregele/GroundUp
JOHANNESBURG - Three people have been arrested in connection with a South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) card fraud syndicate in Johannesburg.
The suspects, who are all employees at a SASSA office branch in Johannesburg central, were arrested on Friday morning.
Police are searching for at least four others, including a senior manager who is also implicated in the crime.
Friday's arrests are part of an operation that saw four people linked to the syndicate in Soweto, including a SASSA employee arrested in February.
Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said they received a tip-off about two women withdrawing large amounts of cash using people’s SASSA cards in Soweto.
“So, we arrested the two ladies and we went to the male and we questioned him and we found that he was also involved and he was working for SASSA in Johannesburg Central, so we arrested him. What was interesting, one of the females that we found inside the shop is the wife of this SASSA employee that was waiting outside.”
An Ethiopian national was also arrested after being found in possession of 150 SASSA and bank cards, an undisclosed amount of cash and an unlicensed firearm.
Masondo said more arrests were expected.