Three more men suspected to be foreign nationals are behind bars as police deployed under Operation Vala Umgodi continue clamping down on illegal immigrants.

The three men believed to be foreign nationals were arrested during a stop-and-search operation near the Middleburg Toll Plaza on September 22.

The three men, aged between 29 and 36, were taken into custody for being in South Africa without valid documentation, and they appeared before the Witbank Magistrate’s Court today.

“They are facing charges under the Immigration Act,” said the provincial SAPS spokesperson, Captain Mpho Nonyane-Mpe.

The arrests were made as part of the ongoing Operation Vala Umgodi, a nationwide effort aimed at cracking down on illegal mining activities and addressing the issue of undocumented foreign nationals involved in the practice.

“The Department of Home Affairs is now working with local police to confirm the immigration status of the suspects,” said Nonyane-Mpe.

In recent weeks, the officials have made several arrests linked to immigration act contraventions in various parts of the city. Last month, in a space of less than two weeks, more than 20 people were arrested for similar offenses in the eMalahleni area.

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