Police officers deployed under Operation Vala Umgodi have arrested eight illegal immigrants during a stop-and-search operation along the N4 Road near a local mall on Thursday.

Arrested on August 14, the suspects, aged between 22 and 34, allegedly failed to produce valid documentation allowing them to be in South Africa and were charged with Contravention of the Immigration Act of South Africa.

The arrests form part of a broader crackdown on illegal mining and related crimes across Mpumalanga. Operation Vala Umgodi, a multi-agency initiative led by the South African Police Service, has been actively targeting hotspots used by criminal syndicates and undocumented individuals.

According to the Mpumalanga provincial Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, the operation has already led to hundreds of arrests nationwide.

The eight arrested are expected to appear before the Witbank Magistrate’s Court today, August 18.

“Another 11 undocumented immigrants were arrested on August 7, and they appeared before the Witbank Magistrate’s Court on August 11,” said Witbank Police Spokesperson, Captain Eddie Hall.

The suspects remained in custody, and they will appear again on different dates from September 8, 9 10, 15, 16, and 27.

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