Three males, which include two Zimbabweans and one Malawian have been arrested by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department ( JMPD) in South Africa for contravention of the immigration act and human trafficking in Hillbrow.

According to information issued by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department’s Communications Unit, it follows up on information they recieved regarding suspects involved in bringing undocumented foreign nationals in the country on Thursday, March 17th, 2022.

“Last week whilst on patrol at Wolmarans Street, Hillbrow, officers were approached by an unknown man who anonymously showed them a video and gave them information regarding the exchange of undocumented foreign nationals taking place at Smit Street and an intelligence-driven operation was conducted.

After following a Mercedes Benz Sprinter with tinted windows they stopped it at Leyds and King George Street where they found thirty seven people overloaded in the vehicle.

Out of them, thirty four were illegal immigrants from Malawi which included 22 adult males, 2 adult females, one female and 9 male minors under the age of eighteen.

The arrested suspects were charged with Human Trafficking and Contravention of the Immigration Act and they were detained at Hillbrow SAPS while the illegal immigrants were taken by Home Affairs Immigration Unit for deportation.

One of the immigrants explained to the officers that they came to the country with the promise of getting jobs.

He said that they left Malawi on 24th February, traveling through Mozambique and Zimbabwe before entering South Africa illegally by crossing a river.

The arrested suspects will likely appear at the Hillbrow Magistrates court soon.