Police in Mpumalanga have arrested a 43-year-old Zimbabwean man after he was found with 582 passports during a stop in Middelburg on Monday. The passports originating from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique were discovered stashed alongside large sums of cash inside the vehicle he was travelling in.
Officers recovered approximately R147,300 in total, including R20,000 found in a plastic bag. The suspect now faces charges of contravening the Immigration Act, fraud and money laundering. Police have also seized the bakkie he was driving.
According to police spokesperson Mpho Nonyane-Mpe, early investigations suggest the man was en route to meet someone who would stamp the passports. “Police are of the view that the recovered cash was meant for payment,” she said.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Waterval Boven Periodical Court on Wednesday.