Hawks members in Newcastle have saved 72 foreigners who were allegedly trafficked from Swaziland and Lesotho to South Africa for labour exploitation in one of the factories in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal.
Members received information about foreign nationals who were kept in a certain factory in the area. A search warrant was swiftly obtained and Hawks members together with Department of Labour as well as Home Affairs officials swooped in the said premises on Friday, 3 February 2017. A search was conducted and the victims were found working. Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were brought into South Africa illegally.
Five suspects aged between 18 and 35 were arrested. They were charged for human trafficking and they are due to appear in the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 6 February 2017.