Several undocumented women and children were discovered hidden inside a caravan that was hitched to a bus over the weekend, which shocked police.
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While on patrol along the N1 highway at around 5am on Saturday, Paarl SAPS officers made the discovery.
According to police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi, the officers saw individuals getting off a passenger bus close to the Sonstraal off-ramp.
When the officers got close to the bus, they found women and kids without documentation inside the caravan that was hitched to the vehicle, he said.
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‘One of the passengers intervened and offered one of the SAPS members an amount of R50000 to release the passengers.’
‘The SAPS member honoured his mandate and executed an arrest on charges of prevention and combating of corrupt activities, an offence in terms of the Immigration Act and prevention and combating of trafficking in persons,’ Swartbooi said.
Swartbooi stated that the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks) would carry out an inquiry. The suspects, according to him, would show up in the Paarl Magistrates’ Court today.
After the arrests, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber praised the SAPS and pledged assistance to help those accused of breaking immigration laws get successfully prosecuted.
‘The Department of Home Affairs is committed to playing its role alongside law enforcement and prosecutorial services, and invites the DPCI to contact the department for any assistance it can provide in this regard,’ Schreiber said.
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