Case against fraudulent passport syndicate postponed

The case against 27 people charged with fraudulently selling passports to foreign nationals has been postponed to 5 April 2022, for a formal bail application.

The group appeared the Krugersdorp Magistrates’ Court on Monday.  

They were charged with corruption in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.

The suspects were arrested on Thursday evening at the Home Affairs office in Krugersdorp, following intelligence received regarding the fraudulent passport allegations countrywide.

Law enforcement authorities received a tip-off about the alleged passport making syndicate that works with Home Affairs officials, to identify South Africans (SA) that are willing to sell their identities for R500.

The SA citizen’s details would then be used to produce a passport for foreign nationals and be sold at R40 000 each.

According to Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Friday, the arrested kingpin and his syndicate had been operating in South Africa’s six provinces, excluding the Northern Cape, Free State and North West.

Motsoaledi said the scam is allegedly mostly done by Pakistani and Somali nationals.

“What they do is, they recruit foreign nationals who need South African passports but don’t deserve them because they’re here illegally. Then they recruit a corrupt Home Affairs official. At night, the Home Affairs official opens the offices. They bring an equal number of South Africans and foreign nationals. Each South African will donate their identify to the corresponding foreign national.”

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Phindi Mjonondwane said all accused were remanded in custody.

Meanwhile, the Department of Home Affairs has fined Zimbabwe-based Rimbi Travel and Tours Bus Service more than R400,000 after a bus arrived at the Beitbridge Border Post with passengers who did not have passports.

The bus operator has been given until the end of business on Tuesday to pay R420, 000 for breaching the Immigration Act, or the department will recover the money through legal means.

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