Officers from the EMPD’s Overload Unit arrested a foreign national on charges of fraud and contravention of the Immigration Act in Kempton Park.

The arrest was made while officers were conducting patrols along the R24 freeway near Isando, where several vehicles were found parked in the yellow lane.

As officers instructed drivers to move on, a white Nissan Almera remained stationary, with the driver distracted on his cellphone.

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On approaching the vehicle, officers established that the driver was operating as an e-hailing driver without a valid Professional Driving Permit (PrDP) and was unable to produce documentation confirming his legal status in South Africa.

Further inspection revealed discrepancies in the vehicle identification numbers (VIN).

The VIN displayed on the windscreen and information plate did not match the VIN on the chassis. Although both VINs were linked to Nissan Almera vehicles, they were registered to different owners.

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With assistance from the EMPD Control Centre, officers contacted both legitimate vehicle owners. One of the victims arrived at the scene with his Nissan Almera and was able to confirm ownership through valid documentation.

The cloned vehicle was impounded and taken to the SAPS pound for further investigation. The suspect was arrested and detained at Kempton Park Police Station and is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court soon.