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This week in Springs, Gauteng, the wheels of justice have been rolling after a crack squad of SAPS officers busted a human trafficking ring operating out of a rented guest house. A half-dozen individuals were apprehended, and one of those caught attempted to bribe the cops with a large sum of money.
Human trafficking, possession of an unauthorized firearm, ammunition possession, bribery, and perverting the course of justice are among the charges leveled against the six accused. The 45 Ethiopian victims, who range in age from 23 to 50, have been released to their family members.
The SAPS has released a statement on the incident, exposing a number of shocking revelations in the process. The case is linked to the arrest of Abdi Mohammed Adri, a human trafficking suspect suspected of holding FIVE Ethiopian nationalities captive against their consent. Last month, he was caught.
“A team comprising of members from the Provincial Organised Crime Investigations, National Crime Intelligence and Sedibeng TRT operationalised information generated through investigations on human trafficking in Gauteng and pounced on a house in Springs where 45 undocumented Ethiopian nationals were rescued.”
“The team arrested six suspects and seized a shotgun and ammunition as well as over R300 000 in cash that one of the suspects had brought to the house to bribe the members with. Preliminary investigations on the scene revealed that the property is owned by a South African woman who was renting out the cottage where the victims were kept.”
SAPS statement
What we know about the Springs human trafficking suspects
The rot runs deep amongst these alleged lowlifes. The six-figure bribery attempt was rejected immediately by officers, who also discovered that ‘one of their own’ may also be involved in this human trafficking scheme.
- Upon the police searching the premises, a shotgun with SAPS issued ammunition was found in one of the rented rooms.
- At the scene, a man approached police with a plastic bag full of bank notes and offered cash to the cops.
- A total of R329 400 was seized and the man was immediately placed under arrest.
- The three men renting the cottage, the owner of the cottage, her son, and the bribery suspect were all arrested.
- The son of the cottage owner, incidentally, is also a serving member of SAPS.
- All six suspects will be appearing at the Brixton and Springs Magistrates Court on Friday.
Six suspects arrested, linked to ongoing case
Adri, meanwhile, has since appeared in court and he is currently on bail. He will be appearing in the dock again on 28 February. While continuing with investigations on this case, information led officers to the house in Springs.
#sapsGP Organised Crime Investigation members rescue 45 victims, arrest five suspects for #HumanTrafficking and a 6th suspect for bribery. MEhttps://t.co/uTPXO5hRMD pic.twitter.com/HWx9BHkJ0s
— SA Police Service
(@SAPoliceService) February 11, 2022
