Johannesburg - A 27-year-old man has been arrested after he was found to be in possession of more than R6.9 million in cash in US dollars and South African rand at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) on Saturday, Gauteng police said.
"During a continuing and successful implementation of an integrated plan at the OR Tambo airport, the team, acting on intelligence, intercepted luggage suspected of containing undeclared cash," Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said on Sunday.
After verifying that the bag did indeed contain an amount of US199 300 and R4 500 400 - a total value of R6 992 569.34 - the suspect was arrested, preventing him from departing to Mauritius.
The South African Police Service, the South African Revenue Service, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, and port security continued to work tirelessly to ensure that crime, including the smuggling of illicit contraband and undeclared cargo, was not committed at South African ports of entry.
The suspect was likely to face a charge of contravening the Customs and Excise Act and was expected to appear in the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court on Monday, Naidoo said.