Cape Town - Three alleged human traffickers appeared in an Eastern Cape court this morning.
Two Bangladesh nationals, Rome Mohammed, Tanvar Kamahn, aged 34 and 37, and the mother, 42, of a Down syndrome child, who cannot be named, appeared in the Keiskamahoek Magistrate’s Court.
The mother and the two foreign nationals, who were her alleged customers, will spend at least 10 days behind bars after their bail application bid awas postponed to June 7.
Hawks spokesperson Yolisa Mgolodela said the trio’s appearance in court emanates from their arrest during a joint venture by the East London Serious Organised Crime Investigation team of the Hawks and King William’s Town K9 unit on Wednesday.
“It is alleged that the mother to a 13-year-old daughter, who suffers from Down syndrome, sold her and her 15-year-old niece to Mohammed and Kamahn, who are shop owners in Keiskamahoek, for sexual exploitation.
’’The conduct dates back from February 2019 while the victims were 11 and 13 years old respectively, until they were taken away to a place of safety in March this year as the Hawks were busy with the probe,” she said.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) said in relation to human trafficking, there are various different types of exploitation, but the more common ones in South Africa is trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation; forced labour; forced marriage; or trafficking for organs/ body parts to be used in traditional medicines or rituals.
The NHTH said any person could commit this crime – it can be a family member, a trusted friend or a community member.
Weekend Argus