SLINDILE MALULEKA
FIVE foreigners were arrested in Chatsworth last night in connection with a consignment of counterfeit money valued at more than R1.5 million.
Police officers from the Durban Central Tactical Response Team also seized two printers, two hard drives, two monitors and ink believed to be used to produce the counterfeit money.
Durban Central police spokesman, Captain Khephu Ndlovu, said the seized machines were believed to be used to produce counterfeit South African Home Affairs permits and fake vehicle license discs.
The men from Malawi – aged 16, 20, 24, 25 and 33 – were arrested at their Chatsworth home.
He said police received a tip-off after one of the suspects repeatedly went to a shop to buy items using the counterfeit money.
“The owner realised that the money was not real and he informed the police,” Ndlovu said.
Ndlovu said the five men produced South African permits. “But that is still under investigation if those permits are real,” he said.
l In a separate incident at the weekend, police doing patrols at La Lucia beach arrested three men aged between 21 and 26, in possession of a stolen vehicle.
Ndlovu said while police were patrolling, they became suspicious when they saw one of the suspects running away.
It was established that the silver-grey Hyundai Getz had been hijacked in Newlands at the weekend.
Police also recovered an unlicensed gun and 12 rounds of ammunition for a .38 revolver.
The three suspects are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court today.