A 44-year-old foreign national has been sentenced to six years in prison after using another person’s South African identity document to secure employment at a quarry in the North West.

Arlindo Fernando Timane was convicted of fraud after investigators established that he had used the ID to obtain work at a quarry in Kareepoort, Brits.

North West police spokesperson Colonel Anne Magakoe said Timane worked at the quarry for around six years.

During that period, he earned approximately R900 000.

Tax return exposes ID fraud

The scheme was uncovered when the rightful ID holder approached the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to submit his tax returns.

He discovered that income had been recorded under his identity from an employer he had never worked for.

The man reported the matter to police in Brits, triggering an investigation into how his identity had been used.

Investigators later obtained fingerprint verification from the Department of Home Affairs. The results confirmed that Timane was not the legitimate holder of the identity document.

Police also established his nationality during the investigation and charged him with contravening Section 49 of the Immigration Act.

Investigators build fraud case

Members of the Bojanala Sub-District 1 Commercial Crime Investigation Unit gathered evidence from several sources.

This included information from the quarry’s human resources and finance departments, SARS and the rightful ID holder, who was traced to Mpumalanga.

The evidence contributed to the case that ultimately resulted in Timane’s conviction and six-year prison sentence.

Police issue warning

North West Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Arthur Adams has warned against using fraudulent documents to obtain employment or financial benefits.

Adams said police would not tolerate this type of conduct and warned that offenders could face the full force of the law.

He also praised investigators and other role players involved in uncovering the fraud and securing the successful prosecution.