Four men believed to be undocumented foreign nationals were arrested near the Middleburg toll Plaza on Tuesday.

The suspects, aged between 26 and 46, were intercepted during a stop-and-search operation conducted by officers deployed under Operation Vala Umgodi.

The arrests were confirmed by the SAPS provincial spokesperson, Captain Mpho Nonyne-Mpe, and form part of Operation Vala Umgodi, an ongoing effort to prevent illegal mining, illegal immigration, and enforce compliance with South Africa’s Immigration Act.

The suspects appeared before the Witbank Magistrate’s Court on September 25, facing charges of contravening the Immigration Act.

“The investigators are working collaboratively with officials from the Department of Home Affairs to ascertain the status of the suspects. The suspects were charged accordingly,” said Nonyane-Mpe.

These arrests follow recent arrests of three illegal immigrants who were arrested during a stop-and-search operation near the Middleburg Toll Plaza on September 22.

The trio appeared before the Witbank Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, September 23, and they are expected to appear again on October 13 as they remain in custody.

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