Police officers deployed under Operation Vala Umgodi have arrested two illegal immigrants during a stop-and-search operation in Emalahleni.

The arrests took place on Saturday, 6 September 2025, along the N4 road near a local shopping mall. The suspects, aged 19 and 20, were found without valid documentation permitting them to be in South Africa.

Both have been charged under the Immigration Act and are expected to appear before the Emalahleni Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 8 September 2025. Police detectives are working with officials from the Department of Home Affairs to verify the immigration status of the suspects