Johannesburg – Five foreigners believed be in South Africa illegally have been arrested after they were allegedly found creating fake documents ranging from matric to marriage certificates.
The five men were arrested on Thursday night at a Kempton Park shopping centre that police did not want to identify.
Spokesperson for Ekurhuleni Metro Police Kobeli Mokheseng said officers from the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit were at the shopping centre around 7pm when they noticed movement in one of the rooms in the complex. They became suspicious as the mall closed at 6pm.
He said officers entered the room and found five undocumented occupants aged from 24 to 41.
“They were found preparing and printing matric certificates, security credentials, security qualifications, marriage certificates and other official documents.”
Mokheseng said the men had official stamps and were able to create a matric certificate with top marks.
“They were also able to give you top marks for whatever qualification from a university of your choice and print you a certificate.
“They were handcuffed and escorted to the Kempton Park police station. Charges under the Immigrations Act, forgery, possession of state-owned resources/equipment and interfering with officers’ duties were levelled against them,” he said.
Later, the team arrested three alleged drug dealers aged 26, 27 and 31 in Daveyton just after midnight.
“They were caught with drugs worth R26 600 and R446 in cash. The trio face charges of possession and possible dealing in illicit substance/s and were marched to Daveyton police station,” Mokheseng said.
They were expected to appear in the Kempton Park and Daveyton magistrate’s courts soon.
IOL