Durban – Two more suspects have been arrested in connection with the passport syndicate that was uncovered in Durban at the Weekend.
Among the five people arrested at the weekend are a former Home Affairs official from the Prospecton office, a municipal project volunteer at the Commercial Road office, and three members of the public.
One of the arrested suspects was found with 226 passports that were recently stolen from the uMngeni Home Affairs office.
RELATED: Home Affairs-Led Operation Busts Passport Syndicate In Durban – The Bulrushes
Soon after the arrests, the department said more arrests were expected.
On Tuesday, 17 June 2025, the Serious Corruption Investigation component of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (better known as the Hawks), based in Pretoria, said more suspects were arrested.
Spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the Hawks arrested two more suspects in the ongoing operation that began on 14 June 2025 in KwaZulu-Natal bringing the number of arrests to seven.
“‘The execution operation emanates from a complaint from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) relating to the issuance of fraudulent passports to undocumented foreign nationals,” Colonel Mogale said.
The allegations reported were of serious offences include corruption, fraud, and contraventions of the Identification Act and Immigration Act, which took place between February 2020 and July 2023.
Allegations are that a group of South African citizens facilitated the fraudulent acquisition of South African passports by foreign nationals at DHA offices in Durban, specifically the Commercial Street branch.
“These unlawful activities took place outside of regular business hours, including evenings, weekends, and public holidays when the DHA offices were officially closed,”
Preliminary investigations by the DHA confirmed that the criminal activities were indeed conducted on off hours where the local citizens offered R300 to R1 000 in exchange for their cooperation.
Colonel Mogale said the criminal shenanigans were committed at DHA offices in Isipingo, Durban Central and Eshowe.
“Thus far a total of 38 individuals have been previously arrested on the matter, between September 2022 to date of which seven are DHA officials while 31 are private citizens,” Colonel Mogale said.
“Twenty-four individuals of whom four are DHA officials have been convicted and sentenced to a combined sentence of 310 years imprisonment.”
On 14 June 2025, five suspects were arrested by the Serious Corruption Investigation in various parts of Durban.
The suspects are appearing at the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court today, Tuesday, 17 June 2025.
They face charges of corruption, fraud, contravention of the Immigration Act; and contravention of the Identification Act.
Colonel Mogale said the Hawks have not ruled out the possibility of more suspects being arrested.
