A Botswana national, Mompoloki Okocha Boitshoko, was arrested after attempting to bribe a South African Revenue Service (SARS) official to release a truck carrying illicit goods into the country.
Boitshoko offered R100,000 to the SARS official in exchange for the release of the truck, which was detained at the border after its contents—illegal cigarettes valued at over R1 million—were discovered. The truck driver had initially declared that he had no cargo to declare, but a search revealed the hidden cigarettes.
The SARS official received a call from Boitshoko shortly after the truck was seized, offering the bribe. Boitshoko was swiftly apprehended by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).
Boitshoko has since appeared in court, with his case postponed until 3 December for a formal bail application. The incident has sparked discussions on social media, with many expressing surprise that the SARS officer rejected the bribe.