A 43-YEAR-OLD Zimbabwean national is expected to appear in the Waterval Boven periodical court in Mpumalanga soon.
This after he was found in possession of 582 passports and more than R147 000 in cash.
The suspect was nabbed on Monday, 8 December, when a multidisciplinary team acted on intelligence information regarding a white Chevrolet Utility bakkie with a canopy, bearing Gauteng registration plates.
Police spokeswoman Captain Mpho Nonyane said the multidisciplinary team intercepted the vehicle at about 1pm and conducted a search.
"Officers discovered an underneath compartment packed with hundreds of passports, some of which had cash stashed inside. They also found an additional R20 000 in cash hidden in a black plastic bag. In total, police seized R147 300," she said
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Nonyane said preliminary investigations suggest the suspect may have been on his way to meet someone who was expected to stamp the passports the following day.
Police believe the recovered cash was intended as payment for the illegal operation.
The suspect has been charged with contravention of the Immigration Act, fraud and money laundering.
Nonyane said the bakkie the suspect was driving was also confiscated for further investigation.
