The woman made the bookings on behalf of the passengers using the eNet platform through her company operating under the guise of a travel agency.
A 51-year-old woman, who is a naturalized South African citizen, is facing 19 097 criminal charges relating to illegal cross-border money transfers amounting to an alleged R500 million at her first court appearance.
Zhang Ying Potgieter was arrested on Wednesday, 04 March 2026 and appeared before the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on the same day.
charge
Potgieter has been accused of violating the Exchange Control Act, 1961 read with the Currency and Exchange Act 9, 1933.
He was granted bail of Rs 70,000 with strict conditions.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said Potgieter's arrest followed an investigation by the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation.
“It is alleged that the accused, through his company Blue Planet Travel Services (Pty) Ltd, acted under the guise of a travel agency making bookings on behalf of travelers using the eNet platform.”
enet
The eNett platform is used to accept money from a payer (traveller) and allocates what is known as a Virtual Account Number (VAN) to a specific traveller.
eNett VAN is an automatically generated Mastercard number used for supplier payments. This can include payment parameters such as amount, currency, date and merchant, making it a more secure way to make or receive payments. This van can only be used where Mastercard is accepted.
Also read: Former ANC MP Vincent Smith sentenced to seven years in prison for corruption
Test
Mogale said that the investigation has revealed a serious picture.
“The investigation conducted by the complainant revealed that Blue Planet Travel Services (Pty) Ltd allegedly received huge sums of money from more than 150 individuals and entities who intended to transfer funds abroad without following prescribed legal channels and to avoid paying duties and taxes.
“These individuals and entities allegedly deposited large amounts of money into accounts owned, controlled or linked to the company,” Mogale said.
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Potgieter is expected to appear again in the same court on 21 April 2026.
Gauteng provincial head of the Priority Crime Investigation Directorate, Ibrahim Kadwa, warned that the Hawks “will fight tooth and nail to ensure that South Africa combats illicit financial flows and avoids greylisting.”
Also read: Senior SANDF member in dock for R1.5m bribery attempt
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