18 hours ago
Seven suspects linked to the Durban passport fraud syndicate appear in court
Seven suspects appeared in court for their alleged connection in a fraudulent passport syndicate.
Seven suspects appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Monday for their alleged connection to a fraudulent passport syndicate.
The accused— Mmeli Philani Trevor Zaca-Dlamini, Thandiwe Pretty Khwela, Zime Anita Shange, Fumani Hlayisi, Bongiwe Kubheka, Lindokuhle Bongumusa Mpanza, and Lungisani Siyanda Mzobe—face serious charges involving illegal passport issuance.
The provincial National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said the suspects allegedly worked with employees from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to process fraudulent passport applications at various offices in KwaZulu-Natal.
"These applications were allegedly processed after hours, during the night, on weekends and on public holidays when the DHA offices were closed," said Ramkisson-Kara.
Ramkisson-Kara added that the fraudulent passports were processed for undeserving foreign nationals using the particulars of South African citizens who are lawful holders of identity documents but do not have passports.
The case was postponed to June 20, 2025, for legal aid and bail application.
