The Hawks in Mpumalanga have detained three people, one of whom is a fake Home Affairs official involved in a passport fraud.
The arrests came after the police’s crime intelligence division provided information about foreigners allegedly working with a fictitious Home Affairs official to stamp expired passports.
Mike Alex Abete, 38; Abdo Mustefu Musa, 44; and Lindiwe Kubheka, 45, a South African, were arrested after warrants of arrest, search and seizure were authorised.
According to the Hawks, Abete was paid R20 000 to stamp passports that had expired.
A deal was made for the passports to be collected once they were stamped, but Abete broke the deal.
During an investigation by the Hawks, many documents from the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Transport were discovered and confiscated.
“The departments will receive the documents so they can examine them. Abete admitted while being questioned that Abdo Mustefu Musa received the passports and the money,” said the statement from Hawks.
Out on R3 000 bail
“Mosa acknowledged receiving the passports and R5 000 from Abete when he was approached, and he then gave them to Lindiwe Kubheka.
“When Kubheka was approached, she acknowledged receiving the passports and R2 500. Three passports were discovered and taken into custody by the team during a search and seizure operation.”
The accused appeared before the Eerstehoek magistrate’s court at Elukwatini, and they were granted R3 000 bail each.
The case was postponed to November 5 for further investigation.
“The provincial head of the Hawks, Major-General Gerber, commended the swift response by the team, which led to the arrests and seizure of the documents.
“As the Hawks, we shall never get weary when coming to fulfilling our mandate. We shall investigate and arrest perpetrators of crime,” said Captain Dineo Sekgotodi.
He further urged the public to refrain from paying money to thugs for any government services.
