A total of 33 arrests have been made in connection with the great VBS heist, and three people have already been convicted. The Hawks are still working on the remaining 43 of 76 suspects, some of whom were not identified during the initial Advocate Terry Motau investigation.

Listen to this article 7 min Listen to this article 7 min Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), discussed the VBS scandal during a media briefing that highlighted the achievements of the fiscal year 2023/2024.

The briefing, held on Friday in Pretoria, outlines progress and assesses milestones achieved during the fourth and final quarters of the finance year 2023/2024.

A total of 547 suspects, representing 526 natural persons and 21 juristic persons, were brought before various courts across the country. A total of 22 police officers were killed during the 4th quarter.

Drugs valued at R47,224,231-20) were seized with a total number of 68 suspects arrested, 42 of which were South African nationals and 25 of which were foreign nationals. In addition, five drug laboratories worth a total value of R27,970,180 were dismantled and a total of 15 suspects arrested.

A total of 22 police officials, which include 17 off-duty and 5 on-duty, were murdered during the 4th quarter. A total of 18 arrests were made and of the eight sentenced, a total of five were given life imprisonment sentences.

VBS heist

Lebeya elaborated on the scandal, which reverberated throughout the...