Three suspects were arrested for fraud during a Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP) operation conducted by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) on the N17 highway in Elsburg on April 14.

According to EMPD, officers from the Overloads Control Unit were conducting routine enforcement when they came across a grey Hyundai parked on the roadside.

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The driver told officers he had run out of fuel, and they assisted by transporting him to a nearby filling station.

Upon returning, officers conducted a routine inspection and discovered the vehicle was operating as an e-hailing taxi.

The driver was asked to produce his driving licence, Professional Driving Permit (PrDP), passport and work permit, but could only provide a passport.

Officers noticed irregularities and contacted immigration officials for verification. The document was confirmed to be fraudulent and registered to a female individual.

During the same operation, officers stopped two pedestrians hitchhiking along the highway. A search revealed they were in possession of fraudulent work permits and expired passports.

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In a separate incident, four foreign-registered vehicles were stopped and found to be driven by South African motorists who could not provide satisfactory explanations. The vehicles were impounded.

The three suspects, aged between 25 and 32, face charges of fraud, contravention of Section 49(1)(a) of the Immigration Act, and working without valid permits. They were detained at Elsburg Police Station.

The Hyundai used as an e-hailing vehicle was also impounded for operating for reward without a valid permit, in contravention of the National Land Transport Act.