Crackdown on people-smugglers
23/01/2008 15:58  - (SA)  

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Johannesburg - Mpumalanga police on Wednesday arrested 16 illegal immigrants in what they said was a breakthrough in cracking a syndicate smuggling foreigners into the country.

Captain Leonard Hlathi said the immigrants were arrested at the Nkomazi Plaza near Malelani after the organised crime unit received a tip-off.

Nine Bangladeshi nationals, three Pakistani nationals and four Somali nationals were arrested and handed over to the Department of Home Affairs.

At the time of their arrest, their destination was not known.

They were travelling in a minibus taxi and the driver of the taxi - a South African - was arrested for aiding illegal immigrants.

It was thought that the syndicate smuggled illegal immigrants into SA and then took them to different parts of the country.

"We suspect they were going to split once they reach their destination," Hlathi said.

They gained entry into South Africa from Mozambique.

- SAPA

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