Cape Town – The head of a Cape Town security company has handed himself over to the Hawks following a raid at the firm's premises on Wednesday during which a firearm was seized.
Mathys Visser is the fourth security company head to be arrested over the last few months as investigations into underworld activities related to the night club security industry continue.
He appeared in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Thursday and was released on R5 000 bail under several conditions.
Visser, who is expected back in the court in February, owned Eagle VIP Security.
The company address of Eagle VIP was listed as a property in Plattekloof - an address which News24 previously established is a home belonging to controversial businessman Nafiz Modack.
Last week in a related case in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court, a police investigator testified that Eagle VIP was meant to have stopped operating from March due to the non-payment of annual fees.
News24 understands the finer details surrounding this, including whether the fees were later paid, are set to be heard in court at a later stage.
The investigator last week also testified that in July the name of Eagle VIP Security was changed to VIP24 Protection and its directorship changed. This company, the court had heard, may not operate as it was under investigation.
A task team set up by the Hawks to tackle serious threats in the Western Cape is investigating underworld violence in nightclubs.
For a detailed breakdown on what has been happening in the underworld, see News24's showcase Underworld Unmasked
Earlier this year, a new grouping headed by Modack started taking control of nightclub security in Cape Town from a more established grouping.
It is understood Visser had been one of Modack's bodyguards.
On Thursday, Western Cape Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha confirmed Visser's arrest.
He said the arrest was carried out after a raid at the Plattekloof premises.
Ramovha said a firearm, ammunition and documents had been seized.
On Wednesday another security company director appeared in court.
Grant Veroni, director of the Bellville-based company Skhosana Maponyane Hall Phillips and Khumalo, trading as The Security Group (TSG), appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court where he was denied bail.
READ: Bail denied for Cape Town security company director in underworld gun case
He faces two charges relating to the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. The firearm was registered under Eagle VIP Security.
Veroni also faces a fraud charge in a separate case set to be heard in Bellville.
In this matter it is alleged that Veroni and a second person, Vincent Phillips, had recruited security guards, applied for firearm licences for the guards, but had never actually employed them.
Veroni and Phillips were arrested at the end of September. Both were released on R3 000 bail.
Another TSG employer was arrested in October.
Hussain Ait Taleb, also a director of TSG and a martial arts expert better known in bouncer circles as Hussain Moroccan, was detained on a conspiracy to commit murder charge.
READ: Murder plot, extortion, disappearing witnesses – underworld probe details revealed
Taleb was arrested in October on a conspiracy to commit murder charge.
Last week during Veroni's bail application in the Cape Town court, Sergeant Edward Edwardes, who is involved in investigating underworld activities, testified about the arrest.
"[Taleb] contracted two individuals of Kensington to murder a club owner who has a club in the Cape Town CBD, an upmarket club, due to the fact he refused to pay protection money," Edwardes had testified.
Taleb is in custody and is expected to apply for bail in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court later in December.
