Chris Rock and his estranged wife are both under criminal investigation for allowing a young South African girl to live under the family's roof for nearly seven years without ever formally adopting her.

According to The Daily Mail, South African authorities are probing Rock and Malaak Compton-Rock for their relationships with Ntombi-Futhi Samantha amid growing concerns she may have been illegally taken out of the country.

The website adds one South African officer has compared the couple's potential offense to "child trafficking."

The now 7-year-old girl has been a part of the Rock family for most of her life, ever since Compton-Rock brought her into the country to live in the then-couple's affluent Alpine, New Jersey home with their two biological daughters.

Later, Compton-Rock openly took to describing the girl as one of the couple's three children. Rock and his wife split last year, and in the wake of their ongoing divorce proceedings, the girl's legal status has become a burning issue.

Reports are Rock has had no contact with the child since splitting with his philanthropic wife, though word is he has had regular contact with his two biological daughters.

"It sounded like a strange case and it has been flagged up to us," said a detective in the country's Department of Home Affairs. "We are awaiting more details (about) how this came about. Whatever arrangement there was between the Rocks and the parents of the child, laws are in place to prevent parents from allowing their children to travel overseas indefinitely with third parties."

Word is the Rock family has been in regular contact with the girl's biological parents. The detective added matters could be complicated if any money changed hands.

Meanwhile, Rock's lawyer recently told People Magazine his client is in the process of legally adopting the girl.