A gang of four suspected human traffickers, who were arrested last year after they descended on Insuza area and kidnapped three children below the age of 16 promising to offer them employment in Plumtree and South Africa, were on Friday sentenced to 30 days in jail each with an option of $100 fine.
Alfred Mncube (46), Irene Sakhile Phakathi (38), both of Johannesburg, South Africa, Lister Ncube (36) and Themba Ncube (32), both of Sanukwi village in Plumtree, were found guilty of kidnapping or unlawful detention of children when they appeared before Lupane magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba.
The court heard that on November 11 last year, the four visited the Insuza area driving a Toyota Quantum vehicle with South African registration numbers.
They talked to unnamed villagers whom they asked to bring young boys and girls so they could take them to Plumtree and South Africa where they said they had arranged employment for them.
The court heard that the kidnappers managed to pick three children, two girls and one boy, all below the age of 16, with the intention of taking them to South Africa without the consent of their parents. Some villagers got wind of the scam and alerted the police.
The court heard that the boy managed to escape from the kidnappers’ vehicle while the two girls were still in the car when the police arrested the culprits.
The children were then released to their parents soon after the arrest of the kidnappers.
