R20 000 bail for trying to smuggle R12m out of SA

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Published Dec 6, 2016

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Durban - A 30-year-old man allegedly caught trying to sneak more than R12million out of the country at King Shaka International Airport at the weekend, appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Nadim Aboobaker had apparently boarded a plane, destined for known tax haven Dubai, with luggage filled with money.

It is alleged he had not declared the money at customs.

Police spokeswoman

Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said: "Members received information of a passenger that would be travelling out of the country with a large sum of South African currency without declaring it at customs.

"Through intense investigation, the members managed to trace the said passenger.”

Police prevented the plane from leaving.

Mbhele said they made Aboobaker offload his luggage. He had checked in seven bags which the police scanned.

“All seven bags scanned showed the same images of currency,” she said.

Police opened the bags and found R12 229 200 in South African currency.

The SA Revenue Service (Sars) allows people to carry R25000 into and out of the country.

Aboobaker faced a charge of breaking the Currency and Exchange Act.

Nontobeko Duma, of the National Prosecuting Authority in KwaZulu-Natal, said the matter was postponed to January 17 and bail was set at R20 000.

Colin Naidoo, the senior corporate affairs manager at King Shaka International Airport, said he was “ecstatic” about the arrest.

He said criminals should be wary when they wanted to conduct their affairs at the airport because they would be caught.

This is not the first time the Daily News reported on an arrest at the airport of people carrying large sums of cash and on their way to Dubai.

Last month, a man was arrested at the airport with R3.9m.

Sars spokesman, Sandile Memela, said at that time that the 25-year-old man had been arrested when he was profiled for a routine check.

In February, Sars found luggage filled with R7m.

Memela said Sars custom officers, together with a baggage handler, had become suspicious when three suitcases scheduled for loading on a departing Emirates flight to Amman, via Dubai, were being removed from the international arrivals hall.

They scanned the bags and found R7 049 320, which led to the arrest of a 46-year-old

man.

Daily News

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