The Nelspruit regional court on Tuesday sentenced two Pakistanis who pleaded guilty to harbouring illegal immigrants.
The men, Mujahid Hussain and the other identified only as Ihsanula, pleaded guilty to contravening the Trafficking in Persons Act.
The pair were arrested after an intelligence-driven operation executed by the Mpumalanga Hawks in February in KaMagugu, after information was passed on regarding illegal immigrants being kept in a safe house.
Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson Dineo Sekgotodi said the information led the team to a house where they found 19 men in a three-bedroom house without furniture.
“Preliminary investigation established that 14 were Bangladeshi and four were Pakistani nationals,” she said.
Ihsanula was arrested for being in charge of the safe house.
“Police recovered 18 passports, 27 cellphones, chargers, and cables which were packaged together and kept by Ihsanula. The suspects could not communicate in English and were in possession of passports that were not stamped for legal entry into South Africa,” she said.
After further investigation, Hussain, 36, was arrested and added as a suspect.
“The house in which the victims were harboured was leased to Hussain and his wife, and in the absence of his wife, he used the house together with Ihsanula to harbour the victims,” said Sekgotodi.
At the time the suspects were denied bail and kept in custody.
Ihsanula was sentenced to a R10,000 fine or two years' imprisonment plus a further three years' imprisonment wholly suspended for five years on condition he is not found guilty of trafficking in people during the period of suspension.
Hussain was sentenced to a R5,000 fine or one year's imprisonment and a further three years wholly suspended for five years.
She added that the 18 illegal immigrants aged between 20 and 45 were arrested and charged with contravening the Immigration Act. The department of home affairs declared them undocumented foreign nationals.
“Investigations revealed that they were trafficked,” she said.
Provincial head of the Hawks Maj-Gen Nico Gerber welcomed the sentences given to the two foreigners who pleaded guilty.
TimesLIVE
'Slap on the wrist' for Pakistani nationals who harboured illegal immigrants in Mpumalanga
Image: 123RF/rawpixel
The Nelspruit regional court on Tuesday sentenced two Pakistanis who pleaded guilty to harbouring illegal immigrants.
The men, Mujahid Hussain and the other identified only as Ihsanula, pleaded guilty to contravening the Trafficking in Persons Act.
The pair were arrested after an intelligence-driven operation executed by the Mpumalanga Hawks in February in KaMagugu, after information was passed on regarding illegal immigrants being kept in a safe house.
Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson Dineo Sekgotodi said the information led the team to a house where they found 19 men in a three-bedroom house without furniture.
“Preliminary investigation established that 14 were Bangladeshi and four were Pakistani nationals,” she said.
Ihsanula was arrested for being in charge of the safe house.
“Police recovered 18 passports, 27 cellphones, chargers, and cables which were packaged together and kept by Ihsanula. The suspects could not communicate in English and were in possession of passports that were not stamped for legal entry into South Africa,” she said.
After further investigation, Hussain, 36, was arrested and added as a suspect.
“The house in which the victims were harboured was leased to Hussain and his wife, and in the absence of his wife, he used the house together with Ihsanula to harbour the victims,” said Sekgotodi.
At the time the suspects were denied bail and kept in custody.
Ihsanula was sentenced to a R10,000 fine or two years' imprisonment plus a further three years' imprisonment wholly suspended for five years on condition he is not found guilty of trafficking in people during the period of suspension.
Hussain was sentenced to a R5,000 fine or one year's imprisonment and a further three years wholly suspended for five years.
She added that the 18 illegal immigrants aged between 20 and 45 were arrested and charged with contravening the Immigration Act. The department of home affairs declared them undocumented foreign nationals.
“Investigations revealed that they were trafficked,” she said.
Provincial head of the Hawks Maj-Gen Nico Gerber welcomed the sentences given to the two foreigners who pleaded guilty.
TimesLIVE
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