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According to the 2023 Trafficking in Persons: South Africa Report, official complicity in trafficking crimes, especially by police and immigration officials, facilitated ‘the operation of traffickers and organized syndicates’ engaging in trafficking.
The report also stated that South African organised trafficking syndicates exploit girls ‘as young as 10 years old in sex trafficking’, and certain well-known brothels previously identified as locations of sex trafficking continue to operate with officials’ approval.
The SOP includes:
- Ensuring any potential crime scenes are adequately preserved
- Gathering of intel through a variety of methods, including identifying and interviewing persons of interest
- Rapid circulation of the information, using all enforcement staff, community networks, industry partners and relevant organisations,
- Establishing a Joint Operations Centre
- Establishing a Search Party Committee
- Correct procedures are followed within SAPS and all standardised forms included in the docket
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Picture: @SAPoliceService / X