South African authorities have uncovered a coal-smuggling syndicate that has significantly contributed to the country’s energy crisis.
The South African Revenue Service (Sars) led a search and seizure operation across five provinces where these smugglers operate: Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Limpopo.
Among the suspects are former employees of Eskom, the state-owned electricity firm.
The scheme involved the illegal sale of high-grade coal, which was then replaced with a lower-quality product, causing damage to power stations.
The issue of coal theft has been a longstanding problem in South Africa, with reports in the country’s media spanning several years.
Many believe that high-level corruption had hindered any meaningful action against this illicit activity.
Source-BBC
