44 ETHIOPIANS FOUND TRAPPED INSIDE JHB HOUSE
The community of Parkmore was left shocked after they
discovered 44 Ethiopians found trapped in a home among them.
On Thursday, guards from the community’s private security
firm heard screams coming from a house in 10th Street while they
were patrolling.
The immediately contacted police who then gained access to
the property.
Police discovered 44 Ethiopian nationals inside of which
only one of them could speak English.
He was unable to explain how they entered South Africa or
how they got trapped inside the house.
All 44 individuals have been taken to the local police
station where police are trying to determine whether this is a case of human
trafficking or whether the individuals entered the country illegally.
According to Thabang Bogopa, a crime researcher, human
trafficking victims are often kidnapped and held against their will to refrain
them from having contact with members of the public and thereby exposing the syndicate.
“You find that even communication is limited or that one
person who understands their indigent language to come communicate with them,
the purpose for that is so that is so that the criminal syndicate isn’t
exposed.”
Image credit: eNCA