The Belfast magistrate’s court has remanded father and son Cornelis and Johannes Albertus Uys back in police custody after a brief appearance on Monday.
The duo, aged 60 and 23, respectively face charges of human trafficking after they were arrested by the Hawks’ Nelspruit-based serious organised crime investigation team on Sunday.
Their arrest follows that of 34-year-old Carlos Bernardo Guambe and Gabriel Bernardo Guambe, 32, on June 24. The Guambe brothers are also accused of trafficking persons.
It is said that 39 victims including seven women, nine children under the age of five and 23 males over the age of 18 were rescued from a farm in Dullstroom in Mpumalanga during a multidisciplinary operation by members of the serious organised crime investigation team, flying squad, provincial labour department and home affairs.
Police spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said the victims were transported by a taxi from Mozambique to the border where they crossed into South Africa illegally by swimming across the river.
“They were taken by a taxi to Lydenburg. The son of the farm owner and one [human] trafficker met with the taxi driver and paid him money in exchange for the victims who were taken to the farm for [cheap] labour,” said Sekgotodi.
Sekgotodi said the victims are being accommodated in Witbank for their safety.
The Guambe brothers face charges of human trafficking and contravention of the Immigration Act. They appeared in court last week and were remanded in custody.
The four suspects are expected back in court on July 11 for a bail hearing.
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