IMMIGRATION OFFICER NABBED WITH PASSPORTS COLLECTED FROM BAR

NHLANGANO – In a rather shocking revelation, passports or travel documents are allegedly being illicitly stamped in the country’s ports of entry in the absence of their holders (owners).

This emerged at the Mahamba Border Gate on Tuesday when vigilant officers pounced on an alleged unscrupulous Immigration officer, who was intercepted when he was just about to stamp five travel documents for Swazi nationals who had overstayed in neighbouring South Africa.

The latest incident could just be a tip of the iceberg on the goings on at the country’s borders, where corrupt officials have apparently made a money spinner out of the practice of getting travel documents stamped with convenient dates of entry and exit at the ports of entries, in the absence of their holders, in order to conceal their illegal stay in the neighbouring country.

It has transpired that most of the people who connive with the crooked border officials are local citizens who do not have work permits to make their lengthy stay in that country legal. Blowing the lid off the shenanigans of the alleged rogue border official in the recent case at the Mahamba Border were vigilant members of the public, who informed police officers stationed at the port of entry that there were certain travel documents that had been kept at a local liquor outlet for an immigration officer to pick them up.

Acting on the tip-off, the officers swooped on the watering hole shortly after 1pm and waited for the said officer to arrive.
The officer, who was identified as Velenkhosini Mkhwanazi (32), was going to start his shift at 2pm, according to sources.
It was alleged that the officers allowed him to pick his parcel, and only pounced on him just when he was about to reach his duty station at the border gate.

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