Durban operation leads to 13 shop closures, 21 immigrant arrests

TWENTY-ONE undocumented foreign nationals were apprehended, and 13 shops were closed during Operation Engangeni Ngesango Iyafohla in Durban yesterday.

- THOBEKA NGEMA

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, the South African Police Service, metro police, Home Affairs, and other stakeholders conducted the operation to address concerns raised regarding the employment of hundreds of undocumented immigrants in stores in the city centre.

During the operation, police vans were filled with illegal immigrants, illicit goods were confiscated, and unlicensed stores were closed. Ntuli said the police conducted the operation to halt criminal activities in the province.

“It’s a successful operation because they were able to discover 21 illegal immigrants and to close down 13 shops that were operating without permits, or rather with permits that have expired,” Ntuli said.