MPUMALANGA, South Africa – A 43-year-old Zimbabwean national was arrested on Monday after South African police discovered hundreds of passports and a large amount of cash hidden in his vehicle – a haul that points to a common cross-border workaround used by undocumented workers in South Africa.

A multidisciplinary law enforcement team comprising the Middelburg Flying Squad, the Nkangala District Anti-Hijacking Team and Waterval Boven police intercepted a white Chevrolet Utility with Gauteng registration plates in Mpumalanga on December 8 after receiving a tip-off.

A search of the bakkie uncovered 582 passports, some containing cash and concealed in a hidden compartment.

Officers also recovered R20,000 in a plastic bag, bringing the total amount of cash seized to R147,300. Police impounded the vehicle for further investigation.

Preliminary inquiries suggest the passports were being transported for illicit stamping.

Zimbabweans travelling to South Africa do not require visas for short visits and are typically granted a 30-day stay. Many who work in South Africa but lack permits hand over their passports to cross-border transporters, known as omalayitsha, who allegedly bribe immigration officials to affix exit stamps, creating the appearance that the holders have left the country before their visitor status expires.

The practice underscores the precarious position of undocumented immigrants seeking to maintain employment in South Africa, while also exposing long-standing allegations of corruption within South Africa’s home affairs department.

The suspect has been charged with contravening the Immigration Act, fraud and money laundering. He was expected to appear at the Waterval Boven Periodical Court on Wednesday.