Ten teenage boys were rescued in Johannesburg on Tuesday following a joint operation by private security and law enforcement agencies. According to police spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale, the operation involved Fox Security, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), SAPS Mondeor and the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit’s Trafficking in Persons section. Mogale said JMPD officers on patrol were alerted to a disturbing scene along Broad Street in Mulbarton, where eight half-naked teenage boys were seen walking on foot.
Further enquiries revealed that the boys were foreign nationals who could not speak English. Officers were also informed that two additional boys had already been taken away in a blue VW Jetta. The vehicle was later intercepted, but the driver fled, leading to a high-speed chase that ended in Commissioner Street, where a 47-year-old foreign national was arrested, and the two boys were rescued.
“The suspect will appear in the Booysens Magistrates’ court on Thursday, January 8, on charges of being an illegal immigrant and suspected trafficking in persons. Further investigations are underway.” Gauteng Hawks provincial head Major General Ebrahim Kadwa praised the multi-disciplinary effort, commending the teams involved for their role in combating human trafficking in the province.
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