THE stakes have just been stacked higher for human traffickers following the successful conviction and sentencing of two traffickers in the Port Shepstone Regional Court.
Veeran Palan (34) and Edwina Norris (28) were sentenced to ten and six years imprisonment respectively after being convicted of trafficking in persons for sexual purposes, keeping of a brothel, procurement of a female to have unlawful carnal intercourse, acquisition, possession or use of the proceeds of unlawful activities and kidnapping.
They were charged under the Sexual Offences Act, the Criminal Procedure Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
The pair lured two mothers, aged 27 and 29, from Cape Town with promises of employment at a Margate hotel as cleaners and waitresses.
Norris was well-known to both complainants, both mothers of four, who were motivated to accept employment far from their families owing to economic hardship.
Upon arrival in Port Shepstone, the women were however told by Palan that they would work as prostitutes.
They were rented to a stag party in a two-day ordeal, which ended when a family member alerted the Port Shepstone charge office and forwarded photos of the women.
A female police officer, W/O Samuel, sent policemen looking for the victims at a local pub and arrested Palan on a charge of kidnapping when he came to the police station to demand the release of his ‘employees’.
The Human Trafficking Pornography and Brothels Task Team (HPPB) and Freedom Generation SA, Richards Bay, praised Senior State Advocate Val Dafel and Detective W/O Allan Horn for the successful conviction.
The Zululand Observer is media partner to both organisations.
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