Two Home Affairs officials were arrested in Randfontein on Thursday concerning the issuing of fraudulent IDs.
Police have detained the officials at Sunnyside Police Station in Tshwane and have said that more arrests are imminent.
They plan to round up 372 recipients of these fraudulent IDs and insist on the forfeiting of assets believed to be proceeds of crime (the fake IDs).
The two joined another official who was arrested on 26 October and appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court for the second time on 3 November charged with fraud.
Police are closing in on the crime syndicate that helped the alleged phoney doctor known as Ncube get a fake ID, with more arrests of crooked officials on the cards.
Hundreds of people were helped to obtain South African identity documents fraudulently with the help of the officials at the Randfontein Home Affairs department on the West Rand.
Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed the arrests and said the two suspects will appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court soon, facing fraud charges.
The case originates from the alleged bogus doctor Ncube, who is facing multiple charges, including fraud and escaping from lawful police custody. Ncube was allegedly found in possession of a fraudulent birth certificate that said he was significantly younger than his actual age.
Investigations into his birth certificate resulted in the arrest of the first Home Affairs official on 26 October, before two more were picked up at work in Randfontein on Thursday.
Ncube is set to return to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday 13 November on 13 cases of fraud and will apply for bail. Lt-Col Masondo said more charges will be added on Monday.
The last time he was in court was on Monday, 6 November when he was denied bail.
According to the police, the bogus doctor has duped several women, scamming them of their hard-earned money.
According to Scrolla.Africa, the man is accused of meeting health professionals on Facebook before setting up coffee dates and convincing them to invest in a chain of pharmacies that he claimed he owned.
Lt-Col Masondo said the first victim reported the case in June. “We have seen several other women opening similar cases against the suspect.”
It has also been established that the man lived a lavish life, driving the latest 2023 GTI Golf he bought this year in cash for over half a million rand. Police have confiscated the vehicle.
Source Hararelive
