Two Cameroonian nationals have been arrested in South Africa for allegedly manufacturing counterfeit South African rand and United States dollars at a residence in Pretoria, Gauteng Province.
The suspects, identified as Jude Yaya Oka and Evans Akor Tiku, were arrested during an operation by South Africa's Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, popularly known as the Hawks.
The duo appeared briefly before the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Wednesday following the discovery of counterfeit banknotes and equipment allegedly used in producing the fake currencies.
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Gauteng Hawks spokesperson, Captain Lloyd Ramovha, said the operation involved the Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation team, the South African Police Service's K9 unit and representatives of the South African Reserve Bank.
He said the team acted on intelligence received from Counter and Security Intelligence and Crime Intelligence.
“The Pretoria-based Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation team, in collaboration with the SAPS K9 unit as well as the South African Reserve Bank representatives, operationalised information received from Counter and Security Intelligence, Crime Intelligence,” Ramovha said.
The operation led investigators to a property along Ferreira Street at Fountains Residential Estates in Silver Lakes, Pretoria.
According to the police spokesperson, officers searched a self-storage facility after questioning the two suspects.
He said the men were allegedly loading black plastic bags from the storage unit into a nearby parked vehicle when the operation took place.
“A self-storage unit was subjected to a search. This was after the two suspects were interviewed. Inside the storage were black plastic bags that the accused were busy loading into a nearby parked motor vehicle,” he said.
The search reportedly led to the recovery of counterfeit South African rand notes, fake US dollar bills and a printer allegedly used to produce the currencies.
“Counterfeit South African Rands and counterfeit US Dollars, as well as a printer that was used to produce the fake money, were seized,” Ramovha said.
The suspects were charged with violating South Africa's Currency Act and Reserve Bank Act.
Their case was adjourned until September 10 for a formal bail application, while both men remained in custody.
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