Durban Police Crackdown: Undocumented Foreign Nationals Arrested in Major Operation

Several undocumented foreign nationals were apprehended by police on Friday night, February 13 during a multidisciplinary operation which saw the shut down of Dr Pixley kaSeme Street in the Point area of Durban.

The operation was led by the Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and it was done in collaboration with officials from the Department of Home Affairs, as well as inspectors from the Department of Employment and Labour. 

It has been reported that the operation focused on wanted suspects, illegal immigrants, liquor outlet inspections, and stop-and-searches, with a primary focus on illegal firearms and drugs.

Apart from the Point area, the multidisciplinary operation also impacted Umlazi and KwaMashu.

SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that “During the operation, which sealed off Dr Pixley kaSeme Street, police shut down a popular pub that was operating illegally.

“Its manager, who is in the country illegally, was arrested and liquor was confiscated,” he said.

In addition, Netshiunda revealed that other suspects were arrested for possession of drugs and possession of a firearm without a licence, while in Umlazi a suspect was arrested for obstructing police officers in the execution of their duties.

In a separate operation, two suspects linked to a vehicle sale fraud syndicate in Durban were apprehended by the Durban Metro Police Service in conjunction with the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Friday, February 13.

The suspects were reportedly wanted for scamming a warrant officer from Cape Town who attempted to purchase a Toyota Quantum in Durban on Wednesday.

According to a statement by Durban Metro Police, the suspects arranged a meeting with the warrant officer for a test drive, and then proceeded to a licensing office, done under false pretences.

“The complainant paid R10 000 in cash and was instructed to deposit a further R120 000 into a fraudulent Capitec account,” read the statement.

After being driven to various locations, the complainant and his wife were abandoned in the city and their personal belongings were taken.

With assistance from metro police and SAPS members, a case was opened and an intelligence-driven operation was immediately initiated.

During the operation, the suspects were apprehended after attempting to repeat the same scam using social media platforms to lure another buyer.

The operation involved multiple law enforcement units and led to the arrest of the suspects at a licensing office in Pinetown. Evidence, including marked money, was recovered.

The suspects are linked to multiple fraud cases and complainants have positively identified them. Further investigations are underway.

DAILY NEWS