The Scorpions seized assets from nine premises in early morning raids throughout South Africa on Wednesday, the investigative unit reported.
Gauteng Scorpions head Gerhard Nel said the asset seizures related to a fraud of about R21-million in which people paid for trucks which were never delivered.
This follows the arrests last August of seven people in Gauteng for allegedly running an investment scam that promised ”the black empowerment opportunity of a lifetime”.
The seven men arrested were Pretoria lawyers Daan van der Merwe and his son Daan, Timothy Hills of Florida on the West Rand, Johannes Wessels of Randburg, Daan van Jaarsveld of Kempton Park, Jack Knight of Pretoria, and David Zono of GaRankuwa.
The men were expected to appear in court in October, Nel said.
They allegedly set up a front company in Kempton Park focusing on people from previously disadvantaged communities.
Under the scheme, would-be investors could buy a truck from the company by depositing R70 000 into a bank account. The company guaranteed buyers transport contracts and undertook to provide a driver and free vehicle maintenance.
The money the truck brought in would be sufficient to cover the monthly payments on it and to leave the owner with a income of R23 000 a month, the scheme operators claimed. — Sapa