On Friday, 14 June 2024, police from Gauteng Organised Crime Investigation Unit arrested more than forty suspected illegal immigrants after the discovery of a house in Sandton where counterfeit sim cards are manufactured.
Police received information about a house in Sandton where criminal activities were taking place. The members of Gauteng Organised Crime Investigation Unit operationalised the information and pounced on the house. Upon arrival, they found more than forty suspected illegal immigrants aged between 17 and 36 years. Further investigation led the police to a garage and backroom where thousands of sim cards from all South African mobile cellphone networks and a substantial number of computers were found.
It is suspected that all the sim cards are manufactured from the premises. Technicians from some of the mobile cellphone networks were called to the scene where they confirmed that the sim cards were an imitation.
Forty-three suspected illegal immigrants and two South Africans were arrested. They are facing charges that include the Contravention of Cyber Crime Act, Fraud, and illegal immigrants.
More suspects might be arrested pending further investigation.
