April 04, 2006, 20:30
A man and his wife were arrested in Kempton Park for human trafficking, the Gauteng police said. Ten illegal immigrants, from India and Pakistan, and two "facilitators" were also arrested after an investigation, which lasted two years, said Mary Martins-Engelbrecht, a police spokesperson.
"The husband is believed to be the leader of a sophisticated human trafficking syndicate that operates between Africa, Asia and Europe," said Martins-Engelbrecht.
The arrests were made simultaneously in Durban, Johannesburg and the UK between 2am and 10am in a joint operation between the South African and British police. Foreign currency, citizenship documents and passports were seized in the raid.
Four South Africans will appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court on charges of human smuggling, while in the UK the charge is of conspiracy to facilitate human trafficking. - Sapa
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