Passport fraud syndicate busted: Ex-Home Affairs officials arrested in R100k passport scam
The scheme enabled suspects to use the identity details of South Africans to obtain passports bearing photographs of foreign nationals A passport fraud syndicate accused of selling South African passports to foreign nationals for up to R100 000 each has been dealt another blow, with the arrest of two former Home Affairs officials linked to a scheme that exploited loopholes in the department’s outdated systems.‘Powerful example’ Department spokesperson Carli van Wyk said the case was a “powerful example” of why Home Affairs is pursuing an extensive digital transformation programme.
The arrests follow a joint investigation by the Department of Home Affairs’ Counter Corruption Unit and the Hawks into a syndicate uncovered in 2022 that exploited a loophole known as “photo swapping”.
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