Seven suspects linked to the Durban passport fraud syndicate appear in court
Seven suspects appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Monday for their alleged connection to a fraudulent passport syndicate.
The accused— Mmeli Philani Trevor Zaca-Dlamini, Thandiwe Pretty Khwela, Zime Anita Shange, Fumani Hlayisi, Bongiwe Kubheka, Lindokuhle Bongumusa Mpanza, and Lungisani Siyanda Mzobe—face serious charges involving illegal passport issuance.
The provincial National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said the suspects allegedly worked with employees from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to process fraudulent passport applications at various offices in KwaZulu-Natal.
“These applications were allegedly processed after hours, during the night, on weekends and on public holidays when the DHA offices were closed,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
Ramkisson-Kara added that the fraudulent passports were processed for undeserving foreign nationals using the particulars of South African citizens who are lawful holders of identity documents but do not have passports.
The case was postponed to June 20, 2025, for legal aid and bail application.
The operation, supported by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, took place at the uMngeni and Commercial Road offices in Durban. One suspect was found with 226 passports that had been stolen from the uMngeni Road Home Affairs office.
Among the arrested suspects are a former Home Affairs official from the Prospecton office, a municipal project volunteer at the Commercial Road office, and three members of the public.
The successful operation was initiated by Home Affairs’ Counter-Corruption Unit following information received from the public. One of the suspects was found with keys to the Home Affairs offices on Commercial Road and at Prospecton.
The department said two more suspects have been identified as members of the syndicate, but the Hawks remain on the hunt for them.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
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