Cape Town – Police in KwaZulu-Natal arrested three individuals following the discovery of an illegal Home Affairs operation in Durban, allegedly used to help foreign nationals gain South African citizenship through fraudulent marriages to South African women.
The operation, led by Crime Intelligence and other police units, found unprocessed marriage applications, original identity documents, and copies at a flat in Greyville, KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said.
“The suspects would get hold of identity documents of South African women and marry them to strangers, especially undocumented foreign nationals so that the fake husbands would attain South African citizenship,” he said.
#sapsKZN An intelligence-led operation by Crime Intelligence officers, working together with Metro Police Tactical Support Unit, Sydenham Trio Task Team and Home Affairs Immigration officers has uncovered a clandestine Home Affairs office which was used to facilitate illegal… pic.twitter.com/0XCgUxqaxk
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) October 28, 2024
A Home Affairs official was identified as a collaborator.
The three suspects face charges, including fraud and defeating justice, after one suspect attempted to destroy evidence.
They will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on October 30, 2024. Police suggest further arrests may follow as investigations continue.
“Several application forms, copies of identity documents and electronic devices were seized. Of the three suspects, two men will be charged with fraud and the woman will face a charge of defeating the ends of justice after she attempted to conceal evidence by tearing some of the documents and threw them inside a bin.
“The suspects are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 30 October 2024,” Netshiunda said.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@SAPoliceService
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
