Police in Cape Town, South Africa, have arrested two Nigerians, identified as Michael Ayodele and Bayo Adejumo, over the alleged production of counterfeit 100-rand banknotes.
The suspects were reportedly apprehended after officers raided an apartment believed to have been used for printing the fake currency.
Footage of the operation, shared by South African digital news platform News Unplugged on social media, showed the two men handcuffed as officers searched them and inspected the apartment.
Bundles of banknotes were visible in an open bag and on a table during the search, although the available report did not establish the total value of the suspected counterfeit currency recovered.
The suspects were alleged to have produced the fake notes to purchase a Mercedes-Benz CLE. However, further details about the proposed transaction and the circumstances leading to their arrest were not immediately available.
The incident has attracted reactions on social media, with some users commending the police for the arrests, while others used the development to renew calls for stricter immigration enforcement.
The arrests come amid continuing anti-immigration sentiment and xenophobic tensions in South Africa, where some groups have accused undocumented foreign nationals of contributing to crime, unemployment and pressure on public services.
However, such allegations have fuelled hostility towards migrants, and the arrest of individuals accused of criminal offences does not establish wrongdoing by foreign nationals generally.
Further details about the charges against the suspects, their immigration status and their expected court appearance were not provided in the report.
