Bus driver arrested after transporting nearly 80 undocumented Zimbabweans
Entrance to the Beitbridge Border Post in Limpopo. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
A bus driver has been arrested and his human cargo escorted back to the border after failing to escape authorities.
The police's border unit was aided by South African National Parks Rangers in tracking a bus loaded with undocumented foreign nationals on Monday.
The driver of the bus was charged with the Conveyance of Illegal Immigrants and given a fine of at least R100 000.
Long police chase
Authorities initially attempted to stop and inspect the bus along the R521 outside Modena near the Botswana border.
The bus driver did not comply and attempted to flee the scene, leading pursuing police and border patrol vehicles on a high-speed chase.
Authorities followed the bus for almost 50 kilometres before bringing it to a halt along the R572, roughly 50 kilometres from the Beitbridge border post.
'Upon conducting a thorough search of the bus, law enforcement officers discovered 76 undocumented Zimbabwean nationals on board, none of whom possessed valid passports or travel documents,' confirmed Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba.
The passengers on board were taken to the Beitbridge border post for processing, and provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe thanked the teams for a successful interception.
'This operation demonstrates our firm commitment to safeguarding our borders and ensuring that all those who undermine the country's immigration laws are brought to book,' Hadebe stated.
Drones for BMA
The Department of Home Affairs upgraded the Border Management Authority's (BMA) operational capacity earlier this year.
R150 million was spent on providing BMA agents with 40 body-worn cameras and a set of drones to give officials real-time footage from the ground.
The drones come equipped with AI-assisted object recognition, thermal cameras that detect heat signatures, and the ability to lock onto and track targets.
'Data shows that when we first trialled the use of drones over the festive season, the number of attempted illegal crossings that were successfully prevented increased by 215%,' stated Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber in April.
NOW READ: Here is what's causing delays at Home Affairs offices
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