[PHOTOS] Chinese sweat shop bust in Amanzimtoti

Law enforcement shut down a sweat shop and detained 25 alleged illegal immigrants  on Tuesday, 10 November. The inspection was conducted just after 10am by members of Metro Police, the health department, law enforcement, building inspectorate and town planning after information was received about municipal violations. “The residential premises is owned by a Chinese national and his wife,” confirmed ward 97 councillor, André Beetge, who accompanied the officers. “Once at the premises, we battled to gain entry through the gate. We then witnessed people jumping over the wall.”

Inside officers found that alterations had been done to the property to turn it into a mini manufacturing factory. Bales of material imported from China, 32 sewing machines, seamstress tables and printed labels proved it was being used as a garment manufacturing plant. “We found what can be described as living quarters for the workers in the back that were in a very bad condition, with all of 20 bed cubicles in a cramped space.” Eleven people were rounded up, excluding the owner and his wife, and one wall jumper was brought back. READ ALSO: Be alert to Amanzimtoti thieves Beetge informed Toti SAPS and Col Riette Kitching immediately reacted by contacting Home Affairs’ immigration department. “After the municipal departments withdrew, SAPS and Home Affairs launched a second inspection and a total of 25 suspected illegal immigrants from as yet unknown African countries were rounded up, who did not have the necessary documentation, passports and/or work permits.” The property owners face prosecution of illegal zoning, an illegal electricity connection after it was found that about 90% of the property’s power came from an illegal connection, health violations, fire restrictions, as the additional rooms were built with wood and corrugated iron, town planning violations and housing illegal immigrants. “If municipal departments possibly had more foresight to activities normally associated with these type of complaints, one could have hoped to have seen Home Affairs, customs and SARS as part of the initial inspection. Therefore credit to Col Kitching for a swift response in getting immigration involved. Residents are requested to be on the alert for these and/or similar questionable operations that appear to mushroom within urban residential areas. All-in-all one could describe it as a success day’s work,” said Beetge. READ ALSO: Amanzimtoti law enforcement officer retires   DID YOU KNOW? Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics. To receive news links via WhatsApp or Telegram, send an invite to 061 694 6047 The South Coast Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there? Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist. (Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)