SA Border Police Intercepts 443 Children Abducted from Zimbabwe
Beitbridge | According to Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner Mike Masiapato, 443 children under the age of eight who were being trafficked from Zimbabwe into South Africa were seized.
This comes after a sting operation that the BMA carried out at the Beitbridge border crossing on Saturday in collaboration with Home Affairs and the South African Police Service.
During a media event on Sunday, Masiapato stated that they had gotten in touch with Zimbabwean authorities and had returned the 443 youngsters to their homeland.
He said that the issue of people trafficking was becoming worse.
He did, however, pledge that they will carry on with business as usual over the holiday season.
More security will be stationed at the major points of entry.
“Just last night, a sting operation conducted by the Border Guards, the Home Affairs Anti-Corruption team, and members of SAPS stopped and searched 42 buses at the Beit Bridge border post and found about 443 children under the age of eight who were travelling without parents or guardians being trafficked into South Africa.
“We denied them entry and activated the Zimbabwean officials to process them back into Zimbabwe,” said Masiapato.
The South African Police Service has over the years reported an increase in human trafficking cases.
Masiapato said they will work with other law enforcement agencies during this time of the year.
He said in the last few months they stopped about 100,000 people from entering the country for various reasons and some of them were wanted by Interpol in different parts of the world.
Also read: South African Govt Extends Zimbabwean Exemption Permits
Masiapato said they also stopped 279 stolen cars from being taken out of the country.
“We were further able to intercept about 396 blasting cartridges as the criminal elements attempted to bring them into the Republic to be used in exploding cash-in-transit vans across the country.
“At the Kosi Bay port of entry in Northern Kwazulu-Natal, we intercepted 19 tower batteries and four solar panels en-route to Mozambique, we then arrested the two individuals and handed them over to the detectives of SAPS for further investigations,“ said Masiapato.
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