Arfan Ahmed, a Pakistani national, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for corruption and bribery linked to passport-related crimes, a decision welcomed by the South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi.
Ahmed’s conviction stems from a March 2022 sting operation at the Krugersdorp Home Affairs office, involving the Counter Corruption Branch of Home Affairs, the Hawks, and Police Crime Intelligence. Ahmed was caught bribing Home Affairs officials with R45,000. A subsequent search of his residence uncovered multiple illicit passports, earning him an additional eight-year sentence.
The Krugersdorp Regional Court recently sentenced Ahmed to another 10 years for his role as the kingpin in a passport photo swap scheme. His total sentence now stands at 18 years for his involvement in the broader passport syndicate activities.
The Home Affairs department stated that the passport syndicate aimed to fraudulently obtain South African passports for Pakistani nationals without legal entitlement. Ahmed worked with corrupt officials across Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and Mpumalanga provinces.
Twelve Home Affairs officials implicated in the scheme have been dismissed following disciplinary proceedings. Minister Motsoaledi praised the court’s decision, underscoring the government’s commitment to rooting out fraud and corruption. He stressed that passport fraud impacts all South Africans, leading to stricter visa requirements for countries like the United Kingdom.
Motsoaledi urged citizens to report any instances of passport fraud to the nearest police station or Home Affairs officials. Reports can also be made through the national anti-corruption hotline at 0800 701 701 or via email at [email protected].
