Limpopo police have apprehended two men suspected of human trafficking after they intercepted vehicles transporting 24 Ethiopian males.
The suspects were en route to Gauteng on the R81 after they passed through the Beitbridge border post with Zimbabwe, said police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba.
The arrests took place on Wednesday in Morebeng by members of the provincial tracking team in collaboration with private security companies.
The passengers were hidden inside a Toyota Fortuner and Hyundai H1 with Gauteng registration numbers. Both drivers were illegal immigrants from Ethiopia.
“Preliminary information revealed all 24 illegal immigrants aged between 18 and 40 were destined for Gauteng, confirming suspicions of an ongoing smuggling operation aimed at exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit,” Ledwaba said.
The 24 are facing charges of contravention of the Immigration Act. The two drivers, aged 28 and 30, will face charges including human trafficking and contravention of the Immigration Act.
The suspects will appear before the Morebeng magistrate's court on Friday.
TimesLIVE
Ethiopian smuggling ring bust: Police
Image: SAPS
Limpopo police have apprehended two men suspected of human trafficking after they intercepted vehicles transporting 24 Ethiopian males.
The suspects were en route to Gauteng on the R81 after they passed through the Beitbridge border post with Zimbabwe, said police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba.
The arrests took place on Wednesday in Morebeng by members of the provincial tracking team in collaboration with private security companies.
The passengers were hidden inside a Toyota Fortuner and Hyundai H1 with Gauteng registration numbers. Both drivers were illegal immigrants from Ethiopia.
“Preliminary information revealed all 24 illegal immigrants aged between 18 and 40 were destined for Gauteng, confirming suspicions of an ongoing smuggling operation aimed at exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit,” Ledwaba said.
The 24 are facing charges of contravention of the Immigration Act. The two drivers, aged 28 and 30, will face charges including human trafficking and contravention of the Immigration Act.
The suspects will appear before the Morebeng magistrate's court on Friday.
TimesLIVE
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