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According to the department, Ahmed was apprehended in a sting operation involving the Counter Corruption Branch of Home Affairs, the Hawks, and the Police Crime Intelligence at the Home Affairs office in Krugersdorp in March 2022.

“In the aftermath of his arrest, his home was searched, where multiple passports which were not supposed to be there were found. For this offence, he is serving eight years. As the kingpin of the passport photo swap, the Krugersdorp Regional Court recently sentenced him to another 10 years imprisonment. 

“He is, therefore, serving 18 years for his involvement in the overall passport syndicate activities,” the statement read. 

The department stated that the passport syndicate aims to undermine the country’s laws by fraudulently obtaining South African passports for Pakistani nationals, who did not have a legal right to possess these documents.

Ahmed is said to have been working with some corrupt officials of Home Affairs in a network that spanned Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Mpumalanga provinces. 

Meanwhile, Home Affairs said they have already fired the 12 officials who enabled his scheme after the conclusion of their disciplinary processes. 

Motsoaledi said he welcomed the development and was impressed that the courts are sending a strong message that crime does not pay.

“We’ve been waiting patiently for the sentencing of this kingpin for his role in the Krugersdorp passport syndicate. This is an illustration that in our unflinching commitment to uproot fraud, corruption and all sorts of crimes bedevilling our country, we make sure that kingpins and their ‘lieutenants’ face the full might of the law.

“Passport fraud is not a victimless crime. Every single South African is a victim because we are now forced to apply for visas when we visit countries such as the United Kingdom. This was not the case before syndicates like these denigrated our passports. We will, therefore, have no mercy to anybody whatsoever, Home Affairs official or outsider, who gets involved in these dastardly acts. We are doing so to protect the interests of all South Africans,” the Minister said. 

He has since urged all citizens to immediately report such acts of crime to the nearest police station or report them to Home Affairs officials and to refrain from such criminal acts of selling identity.

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KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Colonel Robert Netshiunda said Chong Cheng made a brief first appearance in the Gauteng Regional Court and also appeared in the Durban Regional Court on 6 May.

“He is facing one count of murder and four charges of attempted murder. He was remanded in custody and will be in the dock on 25 May. The investigation also uncovered that the suspect had earlier cut a safe open and stole two firearms at a residence on Campbell Drive in La Lucia,” he said.

Cheng is accusing of shooting at five people, killing one and injuring three more at a house in Durban North.

“Four foreign women of Asian origin were reportedly sitting in one room of their rented house when a male companion, also of Asian origin, arrived and the women reportedly asked him to give them a lift to the nearby shopping centre.”

“When the women and their male friend were getting inside the vehicle, another man, also of the same nationality as the rest of them, emerged from inside the house and fired shots. One woman sustained fatal gunshot wounds and was declared dead at the scene, whereas there other women were rushed to hospital in a critical condition. The male companion escaped unharmed,” said Netshiunda.

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Hawks spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said the security guard allegedly failed to deliver R209000 to a cash vault on Thursday.

“The client enquired about the collected cash and an internal investigation was conducted. Preliminary investigation revealed that receipt book was tampered with and a case of theft was reported at Richards Bay police station.”

“Hawks members were alerted and the suspect was identified. A search warrant was obtained and executed yesterday,” Mhlongo said on Tuesday.

The Hawks found R26000 in the guard’s house.

“He was placed under arrest and charged accordingly.”

The man was expected to appear in the Richards Bay Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

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IPID spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said the Major-General would be appearing in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Tuesday.

This is a developing story.

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