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Money mule & launderingReviewed

South Africa: Shafiqul Mohammed Islam convicted on 47 money laundering counts in R12.5m drop-safe fraud

IOL reported on 10 November 2026 that Shafiqul Mohammed Islam, 36, a foreign national, was found guilty on all 47 counts of money laundering under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act by the Kimberley Specialised Com…

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Source: iol.co.za · published

Illustration: Banking, cards and identity scams

What happened

IOL reported on 10 November 2026 that Shafiqul Mohammed Islam, 36, a foreign national, was found guilty on all 47 counts of money laundering under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act by the Kimberley Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 6 November, following an investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks). He was sentenced to a fine of R350,000 or five years' imprisonment, plus a further five-year sentence wholly suspended for five years. According to the Hawks, between 1 and 3 March 2023 suspects allegedly manipulated a drop-safe system at their shop in Kimberley, Northern Cape, repeatedly recording deposits of R560,000 so that about R12.5 million was credited to a linked account and quickly moved to local and offshore accounts. Islam was linked after allegedly receiving R400,000. Proceedings against three co-accused continue, postponed to 12 February 2027.

How the scam works

According to the Hawks, as reported by IOL, between 1 and 3 March 2023 suspects allegedly manipulated a drop-safe system at their shop in Kimberley, Northern Cape, repeatedly recording deposits of R560,000 so that about R12.5 million was credited to a linked account and quickly moved to local and offshore accounts. Islam was linked after allegedly receiving R400,000 and was found guilty on all 47 counts of money laundering. He was sentenced to a fine of R350,000 or five years' imprisonment, plus a further five-year sentence wholly suspended for five years. Proceedings against three co-accused continue and were postponed to 12 February 2027.

Cases of this kind often involve funds being moved quickly through accounts after a fraud against a business system. The conviction and sentence described here are those reported by IOL from the Kimberley court and the Hawks.

Source

IOL, 10 November 2026: https://iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/2026-11-10-r125m-drop-safe-scam-man-convicted-on-47-money-laundering-charges/

https://x.com/IOL/status/2120146177299456380

Red flags

  • Unexpected large credits moving quickly from a business drop-safe or till system into other accounts.
  • Requests to receive or move large sums for someone else, including offshore transfers.
  • A shop or account being used to repeat unusually large recorded deposits in a short period.
  • Pressure to forward funds before they can be reversed.

If you were targeted

  1. 1This report describes a court outcome reported by the cited official or news source.
  2. 2If you think you were affected by a similar scheme, contact your bank and, where relevant, the police or the investigating agency named in the source.
  3. 3Do not pay fees, taxes or investment sums because an unexpected message or caller told you to.
  4. 4Verify official contact using a number or website you look up yourself, not one supplied in a message.
  5. 5Keep copies of messages, payments and documents if you are making a report.
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