BUSTED! ZIMBABWEAN MAN CAUGHT WITH 582 PASSPORTS AND MOUNTAIN OF CASH IN SA
Shockwaves in Mpumalanga after a 43-year-old Zimbabwean man was dramatically arrested with hundreds of passports and stacks of cash in what police believe is a shadowy cross-border syndicate operation.
South African authorities intercepted the suspect on Monday at around 1pm as he cruised in a white Chevrolet bakkie with Gauteng plates.
A thorough search of the vehicle exposed a jaw-dropping haul: 582 passports from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, some stuffed with cash and others hidden in a secret compartment.
Police also recovered R20,000 wrapped in a black plastic bag, with the total money found on the man adding up to a staggering R147,300. Il
Investigators believe the suspect was preparing to meet accomplices the next day to have the passports fraudulently stamped, with the cash allegedly meant as payment.
The man was hauled off to custody and was expected to appear before the Waterval Boven Magistrates’ Court, as police tighten the net around what could be a major passport-racket network. ?
