Department’s entity Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (C-BRTA) said that several illegal foreigners and stolen vehicles have been intercepted at various ports of entry across the country during the heightened long Easter weekend operations.C-BRTA, working with other law enforcement agencies’ including the SAPS, South African Revenue Services, Border Management Authority (BMA), the Road Traffic Management Cooperation, and others managed to successfully reduce several illegal activities that were witnessed at the country’s ports of entry during the same period last year.
Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, he Deputy Commissioner for the Road Transport Inspectorate at the Agency Simon Ditshego said that over 1 300 illegal foreign nationals who attempted to cross the river near Beit Bridge in Limpopo into the country were arrested, while an unconfirmed number of stolen vehicles were also intercepted before they were smuggled out of the country. “The relevant authority, BMA in this instance, will provide accurate and verified numbers of arrested individuals and vehicles intercepted at our borders.
Some people crossed the river into the country and attempted to catch a taxi to different destinations in the country.Now from C-BRTA side we issue permits to these taxis, when they’re conducting illegal activities or carrying those passengers, we are then able to identify those taxis and call them for regulator committee.What I can tell you is that in terms of our presence and the presence of other authorities we have realised a decrease in the number of offences that are committed but there’s encouraging number of vehicles that are compliant with all their regulations,” said Ditshego.In addition, Ditshego said that their major operations will continue until 23 April.“But we have a plan in place.Remember we cannot say it’s the end of Easter weekend while we still have the month end coming up where other people will still travel. We still must monitor all those movements,” explained Ditshego.
Meanwhile, BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said that they have arrested people whom they refer to as “facilitators” of illegal border crossing at the Lebombo Border Post between South Africa and Mozambique. The facilitators allegedly link illegal immigrants with taxi drivers to transport them into South Africa.“With the use of drones, we have also intercepted and handed over for arrest seven people (facilitators) who are allegedly aiding illegal crossing,” said Masiapato.
