25 undocumented foreign nationals have been detained by police in Sebayeng, Limpopo, for violating the Immigration Act.
The men, who ranged in age from 20 to 44, were taken into custody on Saturday at Solomondale, which is close to Polokwane.
Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the provincial spokesperson for the SA Police Service in Limpopo, stated that after receiving information about a white Toyota Quantum that was travelling along the R81 Road in Solomondale, officers launched an operation in collaboration with private security firms.
Police said the Toyota Quantum was from the Beitbridge port of entry linking South Africa with neighbouring Zimbabwe.
The law enforcement team spotted the Toyota Quantum at a filling station along R81 Road in Sebayeng, and upon checking, discovered 23 Ethiopian men, aged between 20 and 38, in the 15-passenger seater minibus.
The driver of the Toyota Quantum was a 44-year-old South African man.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that all the passengers in the said Quantum were illegally smuggled into South Africa from Ethiopia through Zimbabwe,” said Ledwaba.
“It is reported that while in the process of searching in the Toyota Quantum and the passengers, they (police) saw a white motor vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner which stopped at the scene being driven by a male foreign national.”
The driver of the Toyota Fortuner allegedly offered the police R5,000 “to let the Toyota Quantum with the passengers go free” and was subsequently arrested.
The driver of the Toyota Fortuner was charged for bribery.
“It is reported that the driver of the Toyota Quantum was found in possession of a licensed firearm, and it was confiscated for investigation purposes,” said Ledwaba.
Acting provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo Major General Jan Scheepers hailed the law enforcement teams “for their commitment and alertness”.
The arrested 25 men are expected to appear before Mankweng Magistrate’s Court on Monday.