Cele: Close to 800 incidents of child trafficking reported in 3 years
Police Minister Bheki Cele says there have been more than 700 known incidents of child trafficking in the country over the past 3 years.
Cele revealed the startling figures in a written reply to a parliamentary question.
In 2018, Gauteng alone reported 87 incidents.
This number increased to 89 in the following reporting period but declined to 66 in the latest report.
Despite the decline in incidents, Gauteng remains the hardest hit with a total of 242 incidents between 2018 and 2021.
KwaZulu-Natal reported the second highest incidents with 144 cases during the same period, while the Northern Cape recorded 11.
Cele says security has been ramped up at points of entry to prevent a rise in kidnappings.
“Various procedures have been put in place to prevent, combat and investigate trafficking in persons, including children,” says Cele.
“SAPS members have been developed and trained, to apply the Immigration Act and procedures, especially when dealing with undocumented persons, people smuggling and trafficking in persons.
“It is important that children, who are entering and exiting the country, are in possession of the correct documentation. Normally a lack of correct documentation is a starting point for the investigation of possible trafficking of a child or person.”
The written reply comes amid several reports of human trafficking across the country.
ALSO READ:
