A 43-year-old Zimbabwean national was arrested in Mpumalanga on Monday, 08 December 2025, after police found 582 passports and R147,300 in cash in his vehicle.
The arrest was conducted by a joint operation comprising the Middelburg Flying Squad, the Nkangala District Anti-Hijacking Team, and Waterval Boven SAPS. Acting on received information, the team intercepted a white Chevrolet Utility bakkie with Gauteng registration plates at approximately 13h00.
A search of the vehicle revealed the passports, some containing cash, hidden in a compartment. A separate amount of roughly R20,000 was found in a black plastic bag. The total cash seized amounts to R147,300.
Preliminary investigations suggest the suspect was traveling to have the passports fraudulently stamped and that the cash was intended as payment.
The suspect has been charged with contravention of the Immigration Act of South Africa, Fraud, and Money Laundering. The bakkie was confiscated for further investigation.
He is scheduled to appear before the Waterval Boven Periodical Court today, 10 December 2025.