The police said they had identified an individual at the Department of Home Affairs who was believed to have been involved. Picture: Supplied
Three people have been arrested after police uncovered an office allegedly used to help foreign nationals gain South African citizenships through illegal marriages to South African women in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
An intelligence-led operation by Crime Intelligence officers, working together with Metro Police Tactical Support Unit, Sydenham Trio Task Team and Home Affairs Immigration officers uncovered the clandestine home affairs office on Monday.
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the facility was used to facilitate illegal marriages and spousal visas at a block of flats on Matthews Meyiwa Road in Greyville.
Netshiunda said officers found marriage applications which were still yet to be processed, original identity documents (ID), and certified copies of IDs.
“The suspects would get hold of identity documents of South African women and marry them to strangers, especially undocumented foreign nationals so that the fake husbands would attain South African citizenship.”
Netshiunda said preliminary investigations have identified a KZN home affairs official who has been working in cahoots with the suspects.
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He said more arrests cannot be ruled out as investigations unfold.
“Several application forms, copies of identity documents and electronic devices were seized. Of the three suspects, two men will be charged with fraud and the woman will face a charge of defeating the ends of justice after she attempted to conceal evidence by tearing some of the documents and threw them inside a bin.
“The suspects are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 30 October 2024,” Netshiunda said.
Last month, Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) arrested five people including four foreigners for producing fake documents.
The suspects produced fake police clearance certificates, driver’s licences, matric certificates, firearm competency certificates, pay slips, face value documentation and medical certificates.
Earlier this year, an Upington Home Affairs official was busted for allegedly selling illegal identity documents to foreign nationals.
According to the information from the South African Police Services, the official was allegedly processing illegal ID’s for undocumented foreign nationals.
It is alleged that she accepted cash for providing the fraudulent documents.
Last year, a home affairs department official was arrested for fraudulently issuing a passport to “Lebogang from Bangladesh”.
The official worked at the Benoni home affairs office.
Fahim Kazi became a news sensation as “Lebogang from Bangladesh” when he was arrested while trying to leave the country on 12 May 2022.
At the time of Kazi’s arrest, Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that the clampdown on the use of fraudulent South African documents was bearing fruit as the department knew which corrupt official issued that fraudulent passport, because the official had been on the radar of the counter-corruption branch.
ALSO READ: Home affairs official who issued passport to ‘Lebogang from Bangladesh’ arrested
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