Johannesburg - Three people have been sentenced for human trafficking.
Samson Alichi, Lewis Onyebuchi Okoye and Anell Arendorf were charged with contravening the Trafficking in Persons Act, the Sexual Offences Act, kidnapping, fraud, forgery and uttering.
The Hawks said Alichi and Okoye were additionally charged for contravening the Immigration Act for being in the country illegally.
It said the trafficking in persons Hawks team responded to a call of distress from a young woman who had been enticed to come to Gauteng from the Eastern Cape.
“The victim was approached through Facebook by Okoye, under the guise of pursuing a romantic relationship. They fell in love over time, or at least that is what the victim thought.
“Okoye convinced her to join him in Gauteng for the better and more affluent life that he reportedly often displayed on social media platforms. On August 20, 2020, the victim arrived at Johannesburg Park Station to meet her lover after he sent her the bus fare,” said Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha.
When she arrived at Okoye’s residence in a secure complex along Cedar Road in Fourways, the victim was shocked to see men and scantily dressed women entering and exiting the bedrooms.
Ramovha said the woman became concerned about her safety and wanted to leave.
“Okoye forced her to stay against her will. She stayed overnight and managed to summon help the following day, using another person’s cellphone. The Hawks responded at the address to rescue the victim, who was unharmed.“
He said Arendorf, who was caught red-handed with a client, and Alichi were immediately arrested on the spot after the victim narrated her ordeal and the fact that they tried forcing her to take drugs.
“Okoye was, however, not in the premises. He was later traced and arrested the following month. Several bail applications by the trio were opposed successfully, culminating in their conviction on July 11, 2022, and their recent sentencing.”
Ramovha said the investigation put the trio at the centre of operating and running a brothel in the rented premises, where they had submitted forged credentials for the lease agreement.
He said Alichi and Okonye each received 36 years; imprisonment. The court had ordered that they be deported to their countries of origin after they spend 12 years in jail.
“Arendorf, who is from Cape Town and has a child with Okoye, is set to spend five years in prison as all sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Towards the end of the trial, Arendorf claimed to have also been a victim,“ added Ramovha.
The Gauteng Provincial Head for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, commended the investigating officer and prosecutor for securing the sentence against trafficking networks that were profiting from human misery.
“Trafficking in persons exists; people should be wary of trusting people whom they do not personally know, particularly on social platforms,” he said.
The Star