More arrests in connection with suspected passport fraud scheme
The latest arrests follow five others in Durban on Saturday.
It is alleged that S outh African citizens were allegedly paid R300 to R1 000 to allow undocumented foreign nationals to use their identities to get passports.
An investigation into a large-scale suspected passport fraud scheme involving the Department of Home Affairs led to the arrest of two more people in Pretoria on Monday.
The Pretoria arrests were made after five people were arrested in connection with the same suspected scheme in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.
The weekend arrests were carried out in various parts of Durban as part of an ongoing investigation into the illegal issuing of South African passports to undocumented foreign nationals.
The investigation was instituted after the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) uncovered serious irregularities in passport processing at its Commercial Street office in Durban.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said their investigations revealed that South African citizens were paid between R300 and R1 000 to fraudulently allow foreign nationals to use their identities to get legitimate South African passports.
Mogale said the unlawful activities took place outside of home affairs offices' regular business hours.
'Preliminary investigations by the DHA confirmed that the criminal activities were indeed conducted [after] hours, where the local citizens were offered R300 to R1 000 in exchange for their cooperation, especially at DHA offices in Isipingo, Durban Central and Eshowe, resulting in a case being opened for investigation by [the] Serious Corruption Investigation [team],' Mogale added.
Since September 2022, 38 people have been arrested in connection with the suspected scheme.
Seven were home affairs officials, and 31 were private citizens. Mogale said that 24 people, including four were home affairs officials, had been convicted and sentenced to a combined 310 years' imprisonment.
The seven people arrested over the last few days will face charges of corruption, fraud, and contravention of the Immigration and Identification Acts.
They are expected to appear in court on Tuesday.
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