A tip-off provided by community members to the EMPD Community Liaison Unit (CLU) led to the arrest of a Bangladeshi spaza shop owner operating in Kwanele South, Katlehong.
The arrest took place on Wednesday at about 9pm.
The man was found in possession of more than 100 official documents which are not allowed to be in his possession.
The CLU members confronted the man at his spaza shop.
“Upon searching the man’s rented rooms in a house diagonally opposite his spaza shop, the metro police came across 30 international passports; 20 marriage certificates; 20 SAPS clearances; 20 affidavits; 20 birth certificates and 10 motor vehicle register certificates,” said Wilfred Kgasago, spokesman for the EMPD.
“Among the haul, six cellphones were also confiscated.”
Most of the documents were blank forms.
“The suspect mentioned a name of a Home Affairs official in Johannesburg with whom he works to illegally obtain these documents.
“Intensive investigations are underway to get to the bottom of the matter as it is believed that the Bangladeshi man ‘assists’ his compatriots to illegally obtain official status when arriving in South Africa,” Kgasago said.
The 32-year-old suspect was charged under the Immigrations Act at the Katlehong Police Station.
He is expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court soon.
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