Four individuals suspected of driving licence fraud were apprehended at the Qonce driving licence testing centre on Thursday. The arrests included a driving licence examiner, an applicant, and two accomplices commonly known as “runners”.
Authorities stumbled upon this illicit operation while conducting routine investigations at the learner’s licence test classroom. It was discovered that the two runners were surreptitiously writing the test on behalf of absent applicants. Shockingly, the applicant himself was present in the classroom, idling while someone else was fraudulently completing his examination.
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The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) revealed that their national traffic anti-corruption unit received intelligence regarding the alleged collusion between examiners and driving school instructors. The modus operandi involved allowing runners to impersonate applicants during the learner’s licence test, in exchange for monetary rewards.
Prompt action was taken by the anti-corruption unit members who conducted an in loco inspection at the Qonce driving licence testing centre. Their findings substantiated the allegations, as they uncovered evidence of the examiner’s complicity in permitting runners to enter the classroom and write the tests.
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Shocking revelations emerged during the investigation, with one suspect found to be writing the test on behalf of four applicants, including a foreign national, while another suspect was writing the test for an absent applicant. Furthermore, one of the suspects was found in possession of a significant amount of money.
It has been reported that these fraudulent services were being offered at a hefty price. Learner’s licence applicants were being charged a staggering R2,500 to have the examination completed on their behalf. Out of this sum, the examiner would allegedly receive R1,500, while the runner would pocket R1,000.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are actively pursuing the four applicants who stood to benefit from this fraudulent activity. They are expected to face legal consequences and will be appearing in the Qonce magistrate’s court in the near future.
