Latest news with #CrimeWatch
News24
10-07-2025
- News24
Can Parliament deliver accountability in SAPS crisis?
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IOL News
08-07-2025
- IOL News
Correctional Services boss alarmed by sophisticated cellphone hideout spots in prison
South African prisons have transformed into breeding grounds for organised crime, with inmates leveraging smuggled cell phones and gadgets to orchestrate scams. Image: Bheki Radebe/FILE South African prisons have become hotspots for organised criminal syndicates who smuggle cell phones and other gadgets that are used to scam people and demand ransoms from the families of kidnapped victims. This comes as the National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, led a specialised team in a targeted operation that uncovered an undisclosed number of cell phones and other gadgets, allegedly being used by inmates to commit crimes from behind bars at the Bavianspoort Correctional Centre in Pretoria. It is reported that a group of inmates at the facility, who were found with mobile phones, were actively scamming members of the public, resulting in the confiscation of several mobile phones and other contraband items. Department of Correctional Services (DCS) spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo said investigations have revealed that inmates have created sophisticated hideout spots within their cells to conceal these devices. 'What is most alarming is that these illicit activities were carried out in broad daylight, raising serious concerns about lapses in vigilance and continuous monitoring by officials. 'This glaring security breach has prompted the National Commissioner to demand a full report from the centre's management, explaining how such activities could have occurred under their watch,' said Nxumalo on Sunday. The DCS raid comes as anti-crime activist, Yusuf Abramjee's TV show Crime Watch had also uncovered the truth of some of these criminal syndicates. Speaking after the airing of the latest prison exposé on Monday, Abramjee has also revealed that he had handed some of the evidence to the authorities. "Last week, we presented our evidence to correctional services ahead of our exposé. We shared all the information, and we were promised that Minister Pieter Groenewald and the DCS commissioner would take action, which led to the raid on Friday. "A whistleblower we spoke to came out with the evidence which tells us that the situation is really bad. These criminals are running amok behind bars. It appears that it has become easy for prisoners to get contraband smuggled into their cells should be a great cause for concern," Abramjee stated. Abramjee said prisoners enlist the help of prison officials, who facilitate or overlook the smuggling of gadgets and other items inside prisons. "This cannot happen without the involvement of wardens. Wardens are involved, and the department has also confirmed that some wardens are under investigation. In my view, there are also corrupt police officials who are working with people behind bars," he added. Nxumalo stated that as part of immediate corrective action, all identified inmates involved in the scams have been transferred to the maximum-security unit (C-Max) at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre while forensic analysis continues on the recovered gadgets. "Forensic analysis will be conducted on the confiscated mobile phones to trace the extent of the scam and assist in any further legal processes. Thobakgale has directed Baviaanspoort Management to urgently develop and submit a comprehensive plan to address operational weaknesses and prevent the smuggling of illegal items into the facility," DCS added. Cape Times
IOL News
07-07-2025
- IOL News
Bavianspoort prison infiltrated by organised crime syndicates
South African prisons have transformed into breeding grounds for organised crime, with inmates leveraging smuggled cell phones and gadgets to orchestrate scams. Image: Picture: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers South African prisons have become hotspots for organised criminal syndicates who smuggle cell phones and other gadgets that are used to scam South Africans and demand ransom from the families of kidnapped victims. This comes as the National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, led a specialised team in a targeted operation that uncovered an undisclosed number of cell phones and other gadgets, allegedly being used by inmates to commit crimes from behind bars at the Bavianspoort Correctional Centre in Pretoria. It is reported that a group of inmates at the facility, who were found with mobile phones were actively scamming members of the public, resulting in the confiscation of several mobile phones and other contraband items. Speaking on behalf of the department, Department of Correctional Services (DCS) spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo indicated that investigations have revealed that inmates have created sophisticated hideout spots within their cells to conceal these devices. 'What is most alarming is that these illicit activities were carried out in broad daylight, raising serious concerns about lapses in vigilance and continuous monitoring by officials. 'This glaring security breach has prompted the National Commissioner to demand a full report from the centre's management, explaining how such activities could have occurred under their watch,' said Nxumalo on Sunday. The DCS raid comes as anti-crime activist, Yusuf Abramjee's TV show Crime Watch had also uncovered the truth of some of these criminal syndicates. Speaking after the airing of the latest prison exposé on Monday, Abramjee has also revealed that he had handed some of the evidence to the authorities, resulting in the latest prison raid this past week. "Last week, we presented our evidence to correctional services ahead of our exposé. We shared all the information, and we were promised that Minister Pieter Groenewald and the DCS commissioner would take action, which led to the raid on Friday. "A whistleblower we spoke to, came out with the evidence which tells us that the situation is really bad. These criminals are running amok behind bars. They have become a law unto themselves. It appears that it has become easy for prisoners to get contraband smuggled into their cells should be a great cause for concern," Abramjee stated. Abramjee said prisoners enlist the help of prison officials, who facilitate or overlook the smuggling of gadgets and other items inside prisons. "This cannot happen without the involvement of wardens. Wardens are involved, and the department has also confirmed that some wardens are under investigation. In my view, there are also corrupt police officials who are working with people behind bars. I hope that some arrests will be made soon as the situation has become bad," he added. Nxumalo stated that as part of immediate corrective action, all identified inmates involved in the scams have been transferred to the maximum-security unit (C-Max) at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre while forensic analysis continues on the recovered gadgets. "Forensic analysis will be conducted on the confiscated mobile phones to trace the extent of the scam and assist in any further legal processes. Thobakgale has directed Baviaanspoort Management to urgently develop and submit a comprehensive plan to address operational weaknesses and prevent the smuggling of illegal items into the facility," DCS added.
eNCA
06-07-2025
- eNCA
Cellphones enable crime from behind bars
JOHANNESBURG - Access to cellphones in prisons remains a big problem. CrimeWatch reveals the shocking truth about how inmates are participating in criminal networks from inside prison, pulling in substantial sums of money. They're engaging in scams, extortion schemes, and even placing ransom calls for kidnappings—all from their cells. Anthony Boucher from Specialised Security Services says that the fact that prisoners have access to social media is quite scary.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Lancaster police seeking assistance identifying attempted robbery suspect
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — Authorities are seeking public assistance identifying two suspects who attempted to rob a store in Lancaster County last week. According to the Columbia Borough Police Department, on Friday, June 6, at around 10:08 p.m., two suspects wearing black masks and black hoodies attempted to rob a store on the 200 block of Locust Street. Police say the first suspect was a light-skinned male, possibly a juvenile, wearing gray capri-style pants, a black hoodie with a female figure on the front, no shoes, and a black face mask. The second suspect was a medium-skinned male wearing black sweatpants with a ride stripe down each side, a black hoodie, and a black face mask, per police. If you recognize the male in the photo or the descriptions of the other suspect, contact the Columbia Borough Police Department at 717-684-7735 or submit a tip on CrimeWatch. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
