CAPE TOWN – Authorities today arrested 14 people in connection with a major social grant fraud syndicate that has cost the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) at least R34 million

Eight are Sassa officials from various parts of the country, including Tlokwe and Krugersdorp.

The operation was conducted by Sassa, the Hawks, police and a private auditing firm.

The Hawks says the suspected mastermind behind the operation, and who was arrested at the Cape Town International Airport earlier today, is from KwaZulu-Natal.

Sassa’s general manager for fraud management Renay Ogle says it’s the biggest crime syndicate busted to date.

Ogle says the syndicate has defrauded Sassa of more than R2.3 million involving more than 400 social grants.

She says the syndicate is also part of a larger network that has cost Sassa about R34.7 million to date.
Source: http://www.ewn.co.za