Mozambican national caught with 16 passports sentenced to five years

42-year-old Carlos David Mlambo was arrested after being found in possession of 16 Mozambican passports. The Boschfontein Regional Court in Mpumalanga has sentenced a Mozambican national to five years’ imprisonment for contravening section 49(15)(b)(iii) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002. The conviction comes after he was taken into police custody on 30 July 2026. 42-year-old Carlos David Mlambo was arrested after being found in possession of 16 Mozambican passports; they belonged to individuals who were not at the Lebombo Border Post. Immigration Security officials discovered the passports during an inspection and decided to stop and search him. The National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa (NPA), in a media statement, said that, when questioned, Mlambo admitted he had been entrusted with those passports while in Mozambique. Mlambo also said that he had been instructed to facilitate the stamping of the travel documents at both the Mozambican and South African border posts before returning them to their owners in KwaZulu-Natal. After being transferred from Komati Oort Magistrate’s Court to the Boschfontein Regional Court, Mlambo pleaded guilty. The court further ruled that out of the five years of his imprisonment, two years were suspended for three years on the condition that he is not convicted of a similar offence during the period of suspension. The court also asked that the 16 passports be referred to the Department of Home Affairs for further investigation and verification of the immigration stamps and endorsements contained in the travel documents. The NPA praised the efficiency and professionalism of the immigration security officials, who apprehended the accused, leading to his prosecution. It added that the successful prosecution shows the NPA and its law enforcement partners’ commitment to protecting the integrity of South Africa’s borders. This also safeguards lawful immigration processes and ensures accountability for conduct that threatens the effective administration of immigration control.