OPERATION VALA UMGODI: 43 illegal immigrants arrested so far
A total of 43 illegal immigrants have been arrested in Operation Vala Umgodi in various places, including Sun City, Mogwase and Tlhabane for multiple crimes.
The first group of 13 suspects was arrested at Ledig village near Sun City on Tuesday, 29 April 2025, when they were found with no legal documentation.
Two of the suspects, who are South African, were granted a R1500 fine for employing illegal immigrants.
17 more illegal immigrants between the ages of 18 and 42 were arrested in Bojating village near Mogwase on Thursday, 1 May 2025.
The third batch, a total of 13 males between the ages of 20 and 47, was arrested in Geelhout Park in Tlhabane and in Extension 9, Boitekong on Friday, 2 May 2025 for being illegal immigrants.
One illegal immigrant faced additional charges for owning a dangerous weapon, while two other males were arrested for possessing drugs.
From the entire operation, police seized a generator, battery, shovel and a variety of drugs, including cocaine and dagga.
Acting Provincial Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, expressed that the high number of illegal foreigners arrested each week is a cry for concern.
He said, 'It is deeply concerning that almost every week the police in the province are arresting large numbers of foreign nationals for not only being in the country illegally, but also for a variety of crimes such as dealing in drugs, illegal possession of drugs, unlicensed firearms, illegal mining, murders, robberies, theft of livestock and a raft of serious crimes, which threaten the territorial integrity, personal safety, the economy and undermines the authority of the state.'
Asaneng adds that the involvement of illegal foreigners in crimes poses a serious threat to national security.
'The involvement of foreign nationals in the commission of crime, whether aided or abetted by South Africans, poses a serious threat to national security and as such requires a collaborative effort by civil society and various government's security and social departments such as the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Border Management Authority, Customs/ South African Revenue Services (SARS), Home Affairs Immigration, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA),' said Asaneng.
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