The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has been pretty on the ball when it comes to calling out crooks of late – just ask this dodgy tax practitioner in Cape Town.

Still, quite some way to go before they win back the South African public, given how deep the State Capture rot runs.

Now, in their most recent bust, SARS officials have arrested an as yet unnamed South African student who was found with the equivalent of R10 million in US dollars in her hand luggage at OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg.

Remember the Walter Sisulu University student who accidentally had R14 million dumped into her account from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) last year? She didn’t think holding onto the money was a bad idea, either.

The student was arrested after she boarded a flight destined for Hong Kong, reports News24.

According to SARS spokesperson Sicelo Mkosi, the money was counted and amounted to $630 700.

Mkosi said the flight was scheduled to leave when the officers pounced.

“Initially, she denied having currency in her possession, but after further questioning, she admitted that she had a substantial amount of money in her backpack,” Mkosi said in a statement.

The student was taken to Customs where she was placed in an interview room and asked to complete a traveller card.

“The passenger verbally stated that she had 650 000 United States dollars in her bag. She admitted that she was not the owner of the currency, nor could she supply any proof of ownership,” Mkosi added.

A criminal case of smuggling currency and failure to declare it has been registered, he said.

“SARS remains appreciative of the constructive collaboration between ACSA (the Airports Company of SA), SAPS (SA Police Service), DPCI (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation), Asset Forfeiture Unit (NPA) and the State Security Agency (SSA), which is yielding positive results in the fight against the scourge of illicit financial flows,” Beyers Theron, Acting Chief Officer: Customs and Excise, said.

SARS is really cracking down. Maybe they can give the SAPS a few tips on how to deal with those epic crime stats.

[source:news24]