The Hawks yesterday (Thursday) arrested 20 Home Affairs officials and six Basotho nationals – who acted as runners – at the Maseru border post.
The 26 suspects were arrested for, amongst others, contravention of the Immigration Act, defeating the ends of justice and money laundering.
It is alleged the Home Affairs officials, together with their runners, pocketed thousands of rands by endorsing expired passports or any travel documents from Basotho nationals crossing over the border into South Africa.
The suspects were arrested while on duty and the others, who were off duty, handed themselves over to the Hawks.
The runners were arrested at their alleged trading place.
The arrests form part of Project Cone which was initiated in 2015 to curb fraud and corruption at the country’s border posts.
The national head of the Hawks, lieutenant general Mthandazo Ntlemeza, said in a statement that the elite police unit would “leave no stone unturned” when it came to fighting corruption.
"The time is over to be talking about removing the cancer of corruption in government. Be warned that the craving to make money by illegal means which is continuously eating into our everyday life is over,” he said.
The suspects are expected to appear at the Ladybrand Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
