Trio sentenced for human trafficking

Three people were sentenced at the High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday for contravening the human trafficking, sexual offences, kidnapping, fraud, forgery and uttering.

According to police spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha, Samson Alichi (36), Lewis Onyebuchi Okoye (38) and Anell Arendorf (26) were arrested in August and September 2020.

Alichi and Okoye were also charged for contravening the Immigration Act after they were found to be in South Africa illegally.

Sequence of events

“The trafficking in persons Hawks team responded to call of distress from a young lady who had been enticed to come to Gauteng from the Eastern Cape.

“The victim was approached through Facebook by Okoye in the guise of pursuing a romantic relationship.

“They fell in love overtime, or at least that is what the victim thought. Okoye convinced her to join him in Gauteng for a better and affluent life that he reportedly often displayed on social media platforms,” said Ramovha.

He said the victim arrived in at Johannesburg’s Park Station to meet her lover after he sent her the bus fare.

When the victim arrived at Okoye’s residence in a secure complex in Fourways, she was shocked to see scantily dressed ladies going in and out of the unit’s bedrooms with different men.

Feeling unsafe, the victim tried to leave but Okoye forced her to stay.  

“She stayed overnight and managed to summon for help the following day using another person’s cell phone. The Hawks responded at the address to rescue the victim who was unharmed.

“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 to force her to take drugs. Okoye was, however, not in the premises.”

Okoye was found and arrested the following month.

Several bail applications by the trio were opposed successfully, culminating in their conviction on 11 July 2022 and their recent sentencing.

READ MORE: Human trafficking gang targets women

Investigation

“The investigation put the trio at centre of operating and running a brothel in the rented premises where they submitted forged credentials for the lease agreement.

“Both Alichi and Okonye received individual sentences of 36 years each, the court has ordered that they are to be deported to their country of origin after they spend 12 years in jail.  Arendorf, from Cape Town, who has a child with Okoye, is set to spend five years in prison as all sentences were ordered to run concurrently.”

Meanwhile, Gauteng provincial head for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, has lauded the team for the successful sentence.

“We need to commend the investigating officer and prosecutor for securing this stellar sentence for trafficking networks who are 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.

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