Fight against bank-related crimes to be intensified

Friday, March 6, 2015

Pretoria - South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) have recommitted themselves to cooperating in intensifying the fight against bank-related and cash-in-transit crimes.

This emerged during a high-level two-day strategic workshop in Pretoria this week.

The workshop developed a joint strategy for combating bank-related and cash-in-transit crimes and as well as renewed the memorandum of understanding, which was first agreed upon in 2001. 

To achieve the desired results, the SAPS and SABRIC will, among other things, cooperate in educating the public about bank-related and cybercrimes.

SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant General Solomon Makgale said they would also increase the capacity in the SAPS to administer cyber-related commercial crime, enhance the intelligence capabilities between the SAPS and the industry and to ensure, as a matter of urgency, that the top-20 bank and cash-in-transit criminals in every province and at Head Office are arrested.

“The so-called ‘cold cases’ related to bank and cash-in-transit crimes, will be reopened to determine whether these had been thoroughly investigated and the detectives had explored all avenues,” Makgale said.

In her address, the National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Riah Phiyega, said “We believe that part of our success lies in community policing because it enhances our ability to deliver”.

She said that the SAPS will not reject the olive branch being extended by SABRIC, or any other entity willing to help the SAPS in fighting crime. – SAnews.gov.za