South African law enforcement has dismantled a syndicate responsible for issuing fraudulent passports to undocumented foreign nationals.
A total of seven individuals have been arrested during the operation led by the police’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs.
Since the operation began in KwaZulu-Natal province on 14 June, investigations have revealed that the fraud involved South African citizens – current and former Department of Home Affairs officials and private citizens – facilitating the unlawful acquisition of passports at home affairs offices in Durban.
The criminal activities are conducted after regular business hours, with one suspect found with 226 passports that had been stolen from the home affairs offices.
This latest bust shines a light on the broader challenge facing South Africa: a corrupt system that not only intensifies the illegal migration crisis but also undermines national security and economic stability.
South Africa is home to an estimated millions of undocumented migrants, most of whom pay their way to illegally stay in the country.
Authorities have since September 2022 arrested 38 individuals linked to the syndicate – including Department of Home Affairs officials and private citizens.
Earlier this year, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber warned that South Africa was becoming a “syndicate society,” pledging a relentless crackdown on corruption and the digital transformation of processes to close the loopholes exploited by criminal networks.
JN/APA