The Boschfontein Regional Court in Mpumalanga has sentenced a Mozambican national to five years’ imprisonment for contravention of the Immigration Act.
Carlos David Mlambo was arrested in July this year during a routine inspection by Immigration Security officials who stopped and searched him. The officials discovered 16 Mozambican passports belonging to individuals who were not present at the Lebombo Border Post.
“Upon questioning, Mlambo admitted that he had been entrusted with the passports in Mozambique and instructed to facilitate the stamping of the travel documents at both the Mozambican and South African border posts before returning them to their lawful owners in KwaZulu-Natal.
“The matter was initially enrolled in the…Boschfontein Regional Court, where Mlambo pleaded guilty.
“In aggravation of sentence… [the prosecutor] argued that offences of this nature undermine the State's efforts to regulate migration effectively and maintain the integrity of border management systems.
“She submitted that the unlawful handling of travel documents weakens compliance with immigration laws, erodes public confidence in lawful migration processes, and creates opportunities for further abuse of the immigration system,” the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statement.
He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, of which two years are suspended for three years on condition that he is not convicted of a similar offence during the period of suspension.
Furthermore, the 16 passports will be referred to the Department of Home Affairs for “further investigation and verification of the immigration stamps and endorsements contained in the travel documents”.
“The NPA commends the vigilance and professionalism of the Immigration Security officials whose swift action led to the detection of the offence and the subsequent prosecution.
“This successful prosecution demonstrates the commitment of the NPA and its law enforcement partners to protecting the integrity of South Africa's borders, safeguarding lawful immigration processes, and ensuring accountability for conduct that threatens the effective administration of immigration control.
“The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the rule of law and supporting efforts aimed at securing the country's ports of entry against criminal abuse,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
