WESTERN CAPE – A 45-year-old woman has been convicted of money laundering after admitting to fabricating a police statement to help a local drug dealer reclaim seized cash.

Cathleen Hendricks pleaded guilty to the charge in the Oudtshoorn Magistrate’s Court on Friday 29 May, in a case stemming from a multi-year investigation into regional drug trafficking and illicit financial flows.

The matter dates back to 6 April 2018, when an intelligence-led operation intercepted a taxi arriving in Oudtshoorn.

Across provincial lines

Acting on a tip-off, members of the George Serious Organised Crime investigation team and the Oudtshoorn K9 Unit discovered that a local drug dealer had sent R60 000 via a taxi driver to Gqeberha to purchase narcotics.

Upon searching the vehicle on its return, police arrested the driver and seized 200 Mandrax tablets alongside R57 490 in cash.

Following the asset seizure, the drug dealer instructed Hendricks to visit the local police station and submit a formal affidavit falsely declaring that the confiscated money belonged to her. Despite her statement, authorities refused to release the funds.

Investigation ensues

The unnamed drug dealer subsequently died in 2022, but the investigation into the fraudulent claim continued.

Evidence gathered by investigators successfully proved to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) that Hendricks’ affidavit was entirely fabricated.

This prompted the High Court to grant a permanent forfeiture order for the R57 490 on 14 November 2025, shortly after a J175 summons was served on Hendricks to face criminal charges.

Following her guilty plea on Friday, the court remanded the case to Tuesday 14 July for formal sentencing.