Kempton Park
Gauteng Hawks head Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, Crime Intelligence boss Major General Feroz Khan, and Durban businessman Tariq Downes were each granted R20 000 bail in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 11 May 2026, following their arrest over the weekend in connection with an alleged illicit precious metals syndicate.
The trio face charges of contravening the Precious Metals Act and defeating or obstructing the course of justice. The State did not oppose bail, citing the matter as a Schedule 1 offence. As part of their conditions, the accused must surrender their passports by 12 May, give 72 hours’ notice before any travel, and may not interfere with the investigation or contact witnesses. The case was postponed to 14 July for further investigation.
The charges stem from an incident on 5 May 2021 at OR Tambo International Airport. Downes was allegedly found in possession of 75.9 grams of unwrought gold, valued at about R62 836. He told authorities the metal was a brass bar and claimed he was acting as an undercover operative linked to senior SAPS officials.
Prosecutors say subsequent investigations found no authorised undercover operation involving precious metals existed at the time. The case was reopened after new evidence emerged during a broader probe by the Gauteng Counter-Intelligence Operations unit.
Kadwa was arrested on Saturday night in Kempton Park. Khan was taken into custody on Sunday morning after a search and seizure operation at his Houghton apartment in Johannesburg. The Political Killings Task Team, backed by other law enforcement units, carried out the raid.
SAPS confirmed the arrests but withheld the officers’ identities until they appeared in court. National Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the arrests “form part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks involved in the illicit trade of precious minerals and corruption.”
As Gauteng Hawks head, Kadwa oversees priority crime investigations in the province. He remains on suspension pending the outcome of the case. The Hawks’ national office has not announced acting arrangements.
Khan previously led SAPS Counter and Security Intelligence before moving to another division within Crime Intelligence last year. His arrest followed a raid on his Houghton residence on Sunday morning.
The Durban businessman is the central figure in the 2021 airport incident. He allegedly told officials he was conducting an undercover operation, a claim prosecutors say was false. Downes faces the same charges as the two generals.
The case places renewed scrutiny on the Hawks and Crime Intelligence, two units tasked with investigating organised crime and corruption. Political analyst Justice Malala has previously questioned the Hawks’ independence, citing the 2008 disbandment of the Scorpions and Constitutional Court rulings on the unit’s mandate.
SAPS maintains that no one is above the law. “These arrests form part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks involved in the illicit trade of precious minerals and corruption,” Mathe said.
The matter returns to court on 14 July 2026. Investigators say the probe is ongoing and have not ruled out further arrests. For now, the case will test how the Hawks handle allegations of criminal conduct within their own ranks.
