Woman arrested over alleged fraudulent passport scheme in Gauteng
A 46-year-old woman is facing fraud, racketeering, corruption and Immigration Act charges after a Hawks investigation into an alleged scheme involving fraudulent South African passports.
The woman is expected to appear in the Protea Glen Magistrate’s Court following her arrest in Gauteng during a multi-disciplinary, prosecution-led takedown on Tuesday, September 29.
According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, the woman faces charges of fraud, racketeering, corruption and contravention of the Immigration Act.
The investigation dates back to December 2021, when the Gauteng DPCI Serious Organised Crime Investigation, based in Germiston, worked with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Anti-Corruption Unit at its head office and the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit.
ALSO READ: SAPS takes fight against crime to the sports field in Soweto
The team had received information that a foreign national was allegedly colluding with Home Affairs officials to obtain fraudulent South African passports.
Following the complaint, investigators compiled a modus operandi and launched an investigation.
“Preliminary investigations confirmed that officials from DHA and vulnerable South African citizens were recruited, then paired with foreign nationals they photo-swopped and left personal details to legitimise the document,” the Hawks said ahead of Wednesday, September 30’s court appearance.
The Hawks said DHA officials were allegedly paid between R10 000 and R15 000 per application, while South African citizens were paid R500. Foreign nationals were allegedly charged between R50 000 and R100 000.
ALSO READ: City of Johannesburg, police and SANDF launch joint crackdown on inner-city crime
The team registered a project dubbed “Project Humulani” on April 12, 2022. It included cases registered in Krugersdorp, Kliptown, Fairlands and Tubatse, as well as an enquiry in Germiston.
“The investigation continued under the project and bore fruit wherein, for two cases, Krugersdorp and Fairlands, the alleged kingpin was successfully traced, arrested, convicted and sentenced to 14 years’ direct imprisonment,” the Hawks said.
During the project, three Toyota Fortuner SUVs were seized, while several hundred passports were blocked and cancelled.
