Johannesburg – Fifty-six-year-old German, Joachim Will, who was arrested for attempting to traffic two women to Croatia, has appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court.
The accused, Will, appeared in court on Friday, (3 May 2024), on charges of trafficking in persons and fraud.
The German was remanded in custody, pending his bail application
Will was arrested by a joint SA Police Service (SAPS) team led by the West Rand Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, working with Interpol, Crime Intelligence, and Gauteng’s Provincial Border Policing.
SAPS said the suspect was intercepted while trying to board a flight to Croatia with the two Madagascan women, aged 32 and 29.
The women were allegedly recruited through a dating site and lured with a promise of employment.
They were found in possession of fraudulent Italian passports.
Commenting on the arrest of the suspected trafficker, Airports Company SA (ACSA) Group Executive of Enterprise Security Mzwandile Petros said: “ACSA would like to congratulate the various law enforcement agencies involved in making the arrests”.
Petros added: “The apprehension was made possible because of the increased cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the security team at ACSA”.
ACSA warned all would-be traffickers that South Africa was not open to their illicit business practices and that any attempt to break the law would result in arrest.
“ACSA takes a zero-tolerance approach to any criminal activity at its airports. Human traffickers will be arrested and will face the full might of the law,” said Petros.
OR Tambo International Airport is a national key point, meaning that security will always be on high alert.
