A female student carrying almost R10 million in US currency in a plastic bag appeared in court today, said the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
The woman appeared on charges of smuggling currency and failure to declare it. The revenue service said the South African student was intercepted on a flight bound for Hong Kong on Tuesday at OR Tambo International Airport.
SARS issued a statement on their suspect, who is facing a lengthy jail sentence for her transgression. The department confirmed that she had tried to conceal the money when pressed about it by authorities, before eventually admitting it was upon her person:
The money totalled $630 700 and was packed in 50 and 100 dollar bundles in a plastic bag.
Officers led her to the Customs search area, where she was placed in an interview room and requested to complete a traveller card. In the interview, the woman admitted that she was not the owner of the currency nor could she supply any proof of ownership.
Beyers Theron is the Acting Chief Officer of Customs and Excise. He paid tribute to the three departments that fight against the “illicit financial flows” that make their way into South Africa on a daily basis.
