Two men, Erick Thulani Phiri and Lourens Zitha, have been sentenced for using fraudulent credit cards to swipe for motorists in exchange for cash at the Nkomazi Toll Gate in Mpumalanga.
The duo were arrested after the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (also know as Hawks) received information about a syndicate using FNB and Nedbank counterfeit credit cards to assist motorists by swiping for them at the toll gate in exchange for cash.
Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, said during the arrest, Phiri, 32, was searched and found in possession of stolen credit cards from FNB and Nedbank.
Sekgotodi said following their arrest, they appeared at the Low’s Creek Periodical Court in Barberton, Mpumalanga, where they were facing a charge of fraud and were released on R2,000 bail each.
During the trial, it was revealed that Phiri fraudulently swiped over R16,000 with the cards.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a R3,000 fine or three months imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Zitha, 30, who was found with toll gate transaction slips, fraudulently swiped over R19,000.
He also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a R6,000 fine or six months imprisonment.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Gerber, applauded the investigative team for the speedy finalisation of the investigation, which led to the successful sentence.
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