Illegal immigrant sentenced to six years for stealing identity to get quarry job

A 44-year-old man named Arlindo Fernando Timane has been sentenced to six years in prison by a Potchefstroom court after using someone else's South African identity document to gain employment at a quarry in Brits. According to North West police, Timane used the identity document to secure a job at the quarry in the Kareepoort area and worked there for six years, earning around R900,000.

The fraud went undetected until the rightful identity holder discovered income from an employer they had never worked for while filing their tax returns. They reported the case to the police in Brits, leading to an investigation. Fingerprint verification and further investigation confirmed Timane was not the legitimate holder of the identity document, revealing his nationality and adding a charge of contravening Section 49 of the Immigration Act.

North West Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Arthur Adams condemned fraudulent means to gain employment or financial benefits, stating such conduct will not be tolerated and would face the full might of the law. He also praised those involved in the investigation.