FREE STATE, March 29 (ANA) – Eighteen people, including police officers and home affairs officials, were arrested at the Ficksburg Border Post for corruption, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) said on Wednesday.
Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that the 18 were arrested in a joint operation between the Hawks, Free State Home Affairs Officials, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and Crime Intelligence.
“The suspects, 10 of them police officers, five home affairs officials and three runners were allegedly involved in the fraudulent endorsement of expired passports or travel documents in exchange for money or other forms of gratification,” Netshiunda said.
“The suspects, some of whom were arrested while on duty, demanded payments for their shenanigans from undercover cops and they would charge between R150 and R200 per transaction.”
A search was lodged at the house of an off-duty policeman which led the Hawks to the discovery of over R24 000 and 17 watches costing over R100 000 each.
This bust at the border is the fourth of its kind and follows the Hawks’ success at the Beit Bridge Border Post in Musina, Limpopo, Vioolsdrift Port of Entry in Northern Cape and the Maseru Port of Entry.
The national head for the HAWKS, Lieutenant General Mthandazo Ntlemeza, said: “We will finish corruption at the borders and to do so we need cooperation from all other law enforcement agencies and from the public at large. It is only a few people who are corrupt and if the majority work together with the police, corruption at the borders will be a thing of the past.”
The suspects are expected to appear at the Ficksburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday facing charges of fraud, corruption and the Contravention of the Immigration Act.
