DURBAN - A KwaZulu-Natal man appeared before the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a charge of theft after allegedly stealing more than R2 million from his employer, according to a police statement.
The suspect, a former employee of G4S, a multinational security company, allegedly stole R2.4 million from the G4S Cash Solutions depot in Westville in the Upper Highway area in 2019.
The suspect had been on the run since 2019.
A case was opened and the suspect was arrested on Sunday with the help of members from the Crime Intelligence unit, KZN SAPS spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said.
“In the early hours of 23 May 2021, the Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation team arrested a suspect for the alleged theft of millions. A case was opened, which prompted the Hawks' investigation. A warrant for his arrest was issued by court after a thorough probe,” Mogale said.
The suspect had built a house using the proceeds of his alleged crime during his employment term at G4S, which will prompt the Asset Forfeiture Unit to assist with further investigations, Mogale explained.
Mogale said that the matter was still under investigation to determine the extent of the suspect’s crime and whether he had accomplices.
According the South African Banking and Risk Information Centre’s (Sabric) latest annual crime report, KwaZulu-Natal saw a 13% increase in cash heists in 2019, with 26 heists compared to 23 the year before.
The Gauteng province accounted for the bulk share with 74 heists during 2019, which marked a 24% decrease from the previous year.
“Cash-in-transit robberies decreased by 16%. All provinces with the exception of KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State experienced incident decreases,” Sabric said in a statement accompanying the results.
ANA