Members of the Provincial Tracking Team, Crime Intelligence Unit in collaboration with Private Security have arrested two suspects aged 27 and 37 in connection with human smuggling. The suspects’ vehicle was intercepted along the N1 North road, in Polokwane on Friday, 22 September 2023.
According to reports, the Police promptly acted on intelligence about foreign nationals being smuggled into the country through Beitbridge outside Musina.
Leads were followed and the described white Toyota Quantum was spotted travelling along the N1 North road. The vehicle was tactically stopped and searched. Police discovered 08 illegal immigrants (who are all males) and two South African males, a driver with his passenger. The duo failed to give a satisfactory explanation about the origin and the destination of the people they were transporting.
All of them were immediately arrested. The 08 foreign nationals from different countries aged between 18 and 25 are facing charges of Contravention of the immigration Act and the other two suspects aged 27 and 37 are facing human smuggling cases.
Preliminary reports indicated that the 08 illegal immigrants were smuggled into the country from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. They were kept at a house in Louis Trichardt and at the time of their arrest they were being transported to Gauteng.
The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has applauded the members for arresting the suspects. She ordered a thorough investigation into the matter to curb the human smuggling incidents in the province.
The suspects will all appear before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 26 September 2023.
The Police investigations are still continuing.
Content retrieved from: https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=48575.
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