Human trafficking arrests in KZN
Five suspects have been arrested on charges of human trafficking after 72 people were found at a factory in Newcastle.
Members of the Hawks found 72 foreigners who were allegedly trafficked from Swaziland and Lesotho to South Africa for labour exploitation.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo says they received information about foreign nationals who were kept in a certain factory in the area.
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"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," says Mhlongo.
Mhlongo says preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were brought into South Africa illegally.
The five suspects, aged between 18 and 35 years, are expected to appear in the Newcastle Magistrate's Court today.