Home Affairs-led law enforcement operation breaks up passport syndicate in Durban
The operation was initiated by the home affairs counter-corruption unit following information received from the public.
FILE: Department of Home Affairs. Picture: Sethembiso Zulu/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - A Department of Home Affairs-led law enforcement operation has busted yet another syndicate involved in passport fraud in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, where five people were arrested.
This operation comes as 33 corrupt officials have lost their jobs since July last year.
Among the five people arrested in this past weekend’s operation were a former home affairs official, a municipal project volunteer, and three members of the public.
One person was found with 226 passports that were recently stolen from the Umngeni home affairs office.
The operation was initiated by the home affairs counter-corruption unit following information received from the public.
One of the suspects was found with keys to the home affairs offices on Commercial Road and at Prospection.
The same suspect was also found with copies of enabling documents that did not belong to him.
All five suspects have been arrested and are set to appear in the Durban Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday.
Two other suspects who have been identified as members of this syndicate are still at large, however, law enforcement said they were on their tail.