Truck driver bust smuggling 87 undocumented Malawians to Durban

12 September 2018 - 13:25 By Timeslive
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The truck that was found to be carrying 87 illegal immigrants outside Polokwane on September 12 2018
The truck that was found to be carrying 87 illegal immigrants outside Polokwane on September 12 2018
Image: Picture supplied by SAPS

Traffic officers in Limpopo made a surprising discovery when they pulled over a truck for ignoring a traffic sign in the early hours of Wednesday.

The yellow truck‚ travelling from Malawi to Durban when it was intercepted outside Polokwane‚ was packed with illegal immigrants - no fewer than 87 of them!

Limpopo police spokesman Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said the driver‚ aged about 50‚ was arrested for bribery after being confronted as the vehicle entered the Polokwane Traffic Control Centre.

“Subsequently‚ the provincial traffic police officers pulled it off [the road] and discovered 87 undocumented Malawian nationals. The driver was immediately arrested. The police were summoned and started with initial investigations‚” he said.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the truck was heading for Durban. The driver is expected to appear soon in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court. The “passengers” are being processed by authorities.


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