Community tip-off leads to arrest of suspects in child trafficking case

Police in the Eastern Cape have arrested two suspects in a shocking human trafficking case involving 10 children, believed to have been smuggled illegally from Lesotho.

A swift police response led to the rescue of the children and the arrest of two men, aged 40 and 20, in Matatiele on Saturday.

The arrests came after a tip-off from a vigilant community member who noticed an adult male with several children near a fuel station in the Matatiele CBD.

Police spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana confirmed that the 40-year-old suspect, a Lesotho national without valid documentation, initially claimed he was transporting the children to meet their mothers in Pietermaritzburg.

This narrative quickly unraveled when the children contradicted his story.

"However, the children contradicted this, stating they did not know the man and that he had taken them from Qacha's Nek, Lesotho, under false pretences of reuniting them with their mothers. They confirmed illegal entry into South Africa via an unofficial crossing near Paqama," said Gantana.

Authorities have opened cases under the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act as well as the Immigration Act.

The suspects remain in custody and are expected to appear before the Matatiele Magistrate's Court in the coming days.

The children have since been placed in a safe location by the Department of Social Development and are receiving appropriate care and support while investigations continue to uncover the full scope of the trafficking network.

Acting Eastern Cape Police Commissioner, Thandiswa Kupiso, lauded the action by police and community members.

"This intervention potentially saved these children from further harm," she said.

"We urge the public to report suspicious activities related to trafficking or illegal immigration to their nearest police station."

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities determined to dismantle any broader syndicates linked to this attempted trafficking operation.

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Cape Argus