The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security has warned the public against scammers posing as ministry officials and demanding money to "facilitate" national documents and permits.

The warning follows reports of individuals falsely claiming to have links to ministry officials in exchange for payments to secure documents, permits and residency papers.

In some cases, victims were issued with fake documents, exposing them to possible criminal prosecution and financial losses.

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In a statement issued on Friday, executive director Nghidinua Daniel said most victims are foreign nationals seeking documents to reside in Namibia.

"Some do not qualify for the documents through official channels and, out of desperation, succumb to fraudsters, often paying huge sums of money far beyond the prescribed fees charged at ministry offices," he said.

Daniel added that in other instances, victims would have qualified for the documents had they applied through the proper channels instead of using intermediaries.

The ministry revealed that some suspects use the names "Martin Tangeni" or "Martin Tangeni Ndeitwa" while pretending to represent the ministry.

Daniel stressed that no employees by those names work for the ministry and urged the public to treat such approaches as criminal and deceptive.

He emphasised that the ministry does not use intermediaries, facilitators or consultants to process documents, and no official is authorised to solicit money from applicants.

Daniel also acknowledged the possibility of collusion between criminal syndicates and some ministry staff members, warning that anyone involved in corruption or fraud will face legal action.

Members of the public are urged to report suspicious activities to the ministry's toll-free number 081 143 6265, or to the nearest police station.