Suspect from Home Affairs passport fraud syndicate arrested
The syndicate uses the identity details of South Africans and replaces their photographs with those of illegal foreigners.
A 41-year-old suspect from South Africa's Home Affairs passport fraud syndicate was arrested on Friday, according to prosecutors. The individual was apprehended by the Hawks in Limpopo and faces multiple charges including fraud, corruption, violations of the Immigration Act, and racketeering. The arrest is part of the Hawks' Project Humulani investigation, which began in April 2022 following intelligence about a syndicate operating at South Africa's borders.
The syndicate allegedly used "photo swapping" to commit passport fraud by using the identity details of South African citizens and replacing their photographs with those of foreign nationals. Two Home Affairs officials who were previously accused of involvement in the syndicate were granted bail on Tuesday. The investigation, which involved the Department of Home Affairs, the Asset Forfeiture Unit, and the Director of Public Prosecutions, previously led to the arrest of the syndicate's kingpin, a Pakistani national previously convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Three SUVs used by the syndicate and hundreds of fraudulent passports were also seized. The syndicate allegedly operated in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal.
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