Foreign national gets five years for selling fake asylum permits, passports
A FOREIGN national was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the Mothibistad Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday after he was found guilty of manufacturing fake asylum permits and driving licences.
Hawks Northern Cape provincial spokesperson, Nomthandazo Mnisi said on Wednesday that the accused, Maguve Mapuvire, 30, was allegedly charging between R1,000 and R2,500 to produce the fraudulent documents.
“The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime unit investigated information that the accused was manufacturing, issuing and selling Zimbabwean and South African driving licences, asylum seeker temporary permits and passports,” said Mnisi.
“Undercover transactions aimed at gathering evidence were conducted, where the accused was subsequently arrested in November 2019.”
Mnisi said that Mapuvire was convicted on charges of fraud and contravention of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.
“He was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment of which three years were suspended for a period of five years. He will serve an effective five years direct imprisonment without an option of a fine.”
