Is Net Closing In on South African Protection Rackets?

The arrest of alleged Cape Town crime boss Nafiz Modack and three others has shone a spotlight on the notorious 'Modack group' and a surge in extortion rackets in the city and its expansion into surrounding townships writes Peter Gastrow for Daily Maverick. The Modack legal saga has been punctuated with several notable events which include the death of Charl Kinnear who was the section head Anti-Gang Unit and was closing in on the 'Gauteng mafia' and its illicit gold and diamond dealings before he was assassinated, the attempted killing of criminal attorney William Booth who been involved in numerous high-profile criminal trials and the murder of top advocate Pete Mihalik who was allegedly "deeply" tied to Cape Town's criminal underworld and who reportedly attempted to resolve a protracted "turf war" between two factions.

InFocus

Cape Town skyline (file photo).

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