RUSTENBURG - Fourteen people were arrested for alleged drivers' licence fraud in the North West, South Africa's elite criminal investigation unit the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks) said on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso said they were arrested on Monday.
"The suspects comprises, seven traffic examiners, four driving school owners and three driving school instructors. The group was rounded off in Potchefstroom and Mogwase," Rikhotso said.
"The arrests forms part of a project-driven investigation which started 2017 aimed at addressing fraudulent and corrupt activities at traffic stations and driving schools in and around the North West province."
She said the arrests followed various reports about driving school owners allegedly colluding with examiners at testing stations to issue learner's and driver's licences to undeserving applicants in exchange for a bribe.
"The syndicate modus operandi, in some instances, allegedly issued licences to applicants without subjecting them to the mandatory test in exchange of a bribe varying from R5000 to R10,000," Rikhotso said.
The 14 are expected to appear in court soon.