23/07/2025
“Free South African IDs!” – SAPS Tricks 1,200 Illegal Immigrants with Fake Truck in Bloemfontein Sting
BLOEMFONTEIN – In a move that’s left the country in shock .Over 1,200 illegal immigrants were arrested outside Bloemfontein this past weekend after falling for what looked like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a truck parked on the roadside with a huge banner that read: “FREE SOUTH AFRICAN IDs – TODAY ONLY!”
The operation began early Saturday morning when a plain white truck was strategically parked near the N8, just a few kilometres outside the city. Nothing fancy. No loudspeakers. Just a handwritten-looking sign in bold capital letters:
“FREE SOUTH AFRICAN IDs. LIMITED STOCK. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE!”
By 10am, a queue had already formed longer than an NSFAS backlog. Word spread faster than a TikTok challenge. Bakkies, taxis, bicycles and even donkey carts were seen pulling over. Some people came with camping chairs and flasks. Others brought their children “just in case they could also get registered.”
One man told a journalist, “When I saw the banner, I thought God had finally answered my prayers. I even phoned my cousin in Lesotho and told him to hurry before they run out of IDs.”
Unbeknownst to the hopeful crowd, the truck was actually a mobile SAPS command centre, kitted out with surveillance, plainclothes officers, and biometric scanners.
According to a police statement, the entire operation was planned for 6 weeks in collaboration with Home Affairs and national intelligence. SAPS called it Operation Project Papers, and its mission was simple: flush out undocumented foreigners using their own desperation as bait.
As people queued, SAPS officers disguised as Home Affairs officials began calling individuals inside the truck one by one.
“We told them we just needed fingerprints, a photo, and proof of their fake name,” laughed one officer. “Most of them were already prepared with new names, addresses and accents. One guy said his name was ‘Sibusiso van der Khumalo’ and that he was born in Sandton Clinic. But his birthmark was clearly shaped like Malawi.”
Chaos, Panic, and... TikTok Lives?
At around 13:30, SAPS revealed the trap. Officers in uniform, backup vans, and even drones moved in swiftly. Panic broke out.
People tried to flee into the veld. One man reportedly jumped into a nearby dam shouting, “I’d rather drown as a free man than get deported like a fool!” Another tried to bribe officers with R50 and a KFC Streetwise Two.
Several TikTokers live-streamed the chaos, with one influencer yelling, “Guys, I’m here at the fake ID truck, and they’re arresting everyone! This is not a drill!”
Within 2 hours, over 1,200 undocumented immigrants were in custody. Authorities confirmed they came from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Nigeria, and even one man who swore he was from Atlantis.
SAPA ALSO REVIEWED THEY ARE LAUNCHING new trucks next week labelled ‘Free RDP houses for Side Chicks.’” in order to catch homewreckers.
