Fighting crime in the boardroom

Red flags as criminal profits need to appear legitimate.

- Hawken McEwan

SA's battle against crime isn't just fought on the streets-it is waged in online meetings, boardrooms, banks, and businesses nationwide.

As the country's crime rates surge, so does the urgency for criminals to "clean" their ill-gotten gains.

The hard truth? Your business might unwittingly be their laundromat.

Recent SA crime statistics paint a grim picture. Kidnapping cases have skyrocketed by 183% over nine years, with 10 826 cases recorded in 2021/2022. Drug-related crimes and illegal firearm possession have surged by over 15%, while cash-in-transit heists and truck hijackings continue to plague our communities.

These are a stark reminder of the criminal undercurrent threatening society.

But these crimes are just the beginning. What follows is disguising the proceeds through money laundering. It is about making the profits appear legitimate afterwards.

Money laundering, while often perceived as a victimless crime, is intrinsically linked to the criminal activities that endanger not only the economy but also the lives of the citizens and wildlife.