Two additional suspects have been arrested in connection with a passport fraud syndicate operating in Durban, bringing the total number of suspects to seven. They are set to appear in the Durban Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday.
The arrests follow a joint operation by the Hawks and the Department of Home Affairs. The suspects include a former Home Affairs official, a municipal volunteer, and individuals found with stolen passports, fake documents, and keys to government offices.
Authorities say the syndicate operated between 2020 and 2023 at Home Affairs branches in Isipingo, Durban Central, and Eshowe—allegedly after hours, paying locals up to R1,000 to assist foreign nationals in obtaining fraudulent passports.
Thirty-eight people have already been arrested in the wider investigation, with 24 convicted and serving a combined 310 years in prison. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has vowed to continue efforts to dismantle what he describes as a “syndicate society.”