JOHANNESBURG South African police said Friday they had raided a passport forgery shop and arrested six Pakistani nationals accused of helping foreigners stay in the country illegally.

Police said they seized large quantities of false birth certificates, IDs, work permits and South African passports during the raid in the town of Brits, near the capital Pretoria.

“The raid on the Pakistani-run office in Brits must be welcomed by all South Africans as a sign of the unflinching determination of the government to root out corruption in our society,” said home affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

South Africa, the continents largest economy, is home to an estimated three to four million illegal immigrants. — AFP