FRAUDSTER SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF PASSPORTS

MPUMALANGA – Freque Rereque (38), a Mozambican national was found guilty and sentenced by the Nelspruit Regional Court on 13 May 2022 for contravention of Immigration Act and illegal possession of passports which do not belong to him. The accused was sentenced to a fine of R10 000 or 12 months imprisonment of which half is suspended for five years.
The sentence followed the incident that took place on 18 December 2018 where the accused who was a taxi driver was arrested in possession of 27 passports which did not belong to him. Information was received by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team about the taxi driver who was collecting passports from Mozambicans who are staying in Gauteng and North West to take them to Komatipoort Port of Entry where immigration officials would stamp them to extend their stay in the country for a fee without the legal owners being present.
Search and seizure operation was conducted and the accused was arrested in Nelspruit while on his way from Mozambique to North West.
The Hawks’ Provincial Head, Major General Zodwa Mokoena applauded the investigating team and the judiciary who ensured that the accused is convicted for his wrongdoing. She further encouraged government employees to do justice in their different spaces of their operations.