The corrupt
officials, aged 61 and 44, were hauled off in cuffs after surveillance footage
and sharp-eyed Border Management Authority (BMA) execs nailed them, during a
high-stakes operation. The officers allegedly took cash to green-light the
entry of a white Mercedes-Benz taxi, later intercepted carrying 18 passengers —
five of them without papers.
Deputy
Assistant Commissioner, Mmemme Mogotsi confirmed that the arrests were part of
a crackdown aimed at flushing out dirty dealings at the border.
“We’re
restoring integrity, one arrest at a time,” she said. “These arrests are just
the beginning.”
The bust was
triggered by suspicious behaviour, spotted by two top BMA execs, who wasted no
time calling in the Saps detectives, Limpopo’s Anti-Corruption Unit and the
Local Criminal Record Centre.
The smuggler’s
taxi —parked casually near a shop — became the scene of a brazen back-door
deal. Moments after the shady exchange, the vehicle rolled through… but didn’t
get far. Officials swooped in, unearthing the migrant cargo.
A woman
passenger and the driver — the suspected smugglers — were also nabbed.
All nine
accused appeared before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on April 23, facing
corruption and immigration charges. The case continues on April 24.
The BMA says
the dodgy duo have been suspended, pending criminal and disciplinary action.
Acting BMA
Commissioner Jane Thupana, praised her team’s swift action and reaffirmed the
agency’s zero-tolerance stance.
“Corruption
ends here,” she declared. “We’re deploying body cameras, cleaning house and
making sure every border deal is done by the book.”
During Easter,
40 body cams were rolled out to bolster surveillance — and this sting proves
they’re already making waves.
Meanwhile,
South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, revealed that 27 crooked
officials have been fired for fraud and corruption at ports since July last
year. B Metro
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