Eight men and a woman aged between 35 and 70 have been busted big time.
Hailing from Durban and Johannesburg, the group has been accused of claiming “R99 million fraudulent refunds through 15 registered, but fictitious VAT vendors,” reports IOL.
False VAT vendor details, with fraudulent supporting documents, were used to register the vendors.
Naughty, naughty.
Swooping in on 12 premises at dawn on Wednesday, the Hawks discovered an assortment of luxury items, from a Lamborghini to gold bars, Euros, and high calibre guns.
Imagine what they would find if they did the same to some other tax dodgers?
Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, spokesperson for the Hawks, explained how the operation was planned with the assistance of the Hawks’ Cyber Crime, Commercial Crime and SAPS’ Tactical Response Units, following an investigation by SARS criminal investigators.
He continued:
“SARS had paid out approximately R30,6 million before the scam was uncovered and further payments stopped. The proceeds of the scam were deposited in bank accounts from where the money was allegedly laundered through at least 35 so-called suppliers.
One AK47, an Uzzi and several handguns, approximately €2 300, R250 000 in cash and several gold bars as well as Kruger Rands worth millions of rand and bags full of possibly incriminating documents were confiscated during during the operation.”
Among the documents found were identity documents and bank cards of the people who had been registered as VAT vendors. Other vehicles parked in front of the posh homes in a Wierda Park estate where operations were conducted included a Maserati and a Mercedes Benz Gelandewagen.
Nice.
Someone kindly took photographs to show how crime pays, if only for a couple of years:
Pew pew.
That’s why you shouldn’t mess around with SARS and rather cough up your tax, kids, even if they’re messing around with VAT.
[source:iol]
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