The District Commissioner of Mangaung Metro, Major General Arthur Peter Adams, this morning led a multi-disciplinary operation between the South African Police Service, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Small Business Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mangaung Metro Law Enforcement and CENTLEC in Bloemfontein Central Business District. The objective of the operation, as stated by the District Commissioner, is simply “to eradicate lawlessness within the City”. The General appreciated the presence of sister Departments, all role players and stakeholders during the operation and urged all involved to enforce compliance to laws.

At about 11:10 a team conducting compliance inspection arrived at Rehobot Internet Café in Charlotte Maxeke Street. The 47-year-old male was asked to produce his travel documents and the foreign national permit was fraudulent. The police searched the shop and found piles of fraudulent Asylum Seeker Permits, applications to extend VISA, tertiary institutions qualif
ications, copies of South Africa identity document pages and a number of flash drives. Two suspects, aged 38 and 47, were arrested for running a clandestine computer laboratory for printing fraudulent documents and Fraud.

The Provincial Commissioner of the police in Free State, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane, visited the scene to support and applaud the team for the sterling collaborative effort. Cases were opened at Parkweg Police Station and computer boxes, sophisticated printers and other evidence processed by Local Criminal Records Centre personnel confiscated. The two suspects are detained in police custody and will appear in Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court soon.

Source: South African Police Service