Trafficking Of Thai Children Discovered At S.African Border : Report

[webfact]

Child trafficking discovered at S.African border: report

MAPUTO (AFP) -- Police discovered 20 children hidden in cardboard boxes and covered in blankets inside a truck at the border between Mozambique and South Africa, a media report said Monday.

The children, Mozambicans and Thais aged nine to 16 years, were discovered by South African border police during an inspection at the Komatipoort crossing, said Mozambican online news site Canalmoz.

"The children were discovered a week or two ago but the information has been kept secret by the authorities. No one talks because people are afraid," the website's director, Fernando Veloso, told AFP.

"Our source is an official from a South African institution whose identity we can't disclose."

The children, six of whom are from Mozambique and some of whom are from Thailand, are being cared for by social service workers at a secure location in South Africa, Canalmoz said.

Veloso said he had been contacted by the Mozambican interior ministry and asked to reveal his journalist's source.

"The ministry didn't even ask what had become of the children," he said.

A Mozambican official said he had no information about the incident.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-06-29

[webfact]

South African police deny child trafficking report

South African police on Monday dismissed as a "lie" a report that foreign gangsters tried to smuggle 20 children, Thais and Mozambican, into South Africa.

Earlier French news agency AFP reported that the children were found in cardboard boxes and covered with blankets inside a truck at the border between Mozambique and South Africa.

"It's a blue lie. I would have been the first person to know about such an incident," Mpumalanga police spokesman Captain Leonard Hlathi told South African Press Association reported Tuesday.

AFP reported that that South African border police found 20 Mozambican and Thai children, between nine and 16 years-old, in a truck at the Komatipoort crossing.

The children were discovered "a week or two ago".

According to Hlathi: "If you say this happened a week ago, by now I would have heard something".

-- The Nation 2010-06-29

[geovalin]

This story does not make any sense at all.

How Thai children could be found there?

Did they swim?

Was they in a vessel container? To which port?

Smuggling? More easy to smuggle children from poorer countries.

Anyway, why to South Africa? Don't they have already their own poor kids to smuggle?

[Jingthing]

What's happening with these poor children? Slavery? In Africa? Who knew?

[d0om4gloom]

Keep it under wraps during the workshop perhaps ? Don't want bad publicity drawing attention away from the event. In answer to the earlier question, who knows what routes traffickers use to an eventual destination nor their reasons. All we do know is these despicable things occur far too often

[Scott]

Whatever the truth is, I have no idea, but with the World Cup happening, it's probably a very good time to smuggle kids to other countries. Might be a lot easier to exit the country with an extra kid now than under normal circumstances.

[ukrules]

All we do know is these despicable things occur far too often

Or in this case not at all as it appears to be bullshit.

Stories like this one make me wonder how many others are also a figment of someone's imagination.

The question is 'why would someone make up a story like this ?' What would anyone have to gain by doing so ?

[jayjay0]

I highly doubt there is a shortage of childern in South Africa.

Kind of like shipping cole to West Virginia. No profit in that hence why do it.

[otherstuff1957]

The OP says that the children were aged 9 to 16. If the Thai children were all 16 year old girls, the story might make a bit more sense.... in a creepy sort of way.

[ausinpatong]

The OP says that the children were aged 9 to 16. If the Thai children were all 16 year old girls, the story might make a bit more sense.... in a creepy sort of way.

a sad fact as you say creepy...but have you not heard of paedophiles?... under 16 is fine for those scum!!

Edited June 30, 2010 by ausinpatong

[LomSak27]

Well there is a World Cup taking place in South Africa. Given the inclinations and peversitys of some footie fan this revelation is not suprising, sadly it is to be expected.

[Sonkind]

What's happening with these poor children? Slavery? In Africa? Who knew?

Unfortunately If this story is true I would guess the Thai's would be 16 year old girls, it is sad that many of the brothels in South Africa are filled with thais, the story below is one of many in South Africa.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Sex-traffickers-face-R100m-or-life-20100323

Sad but true

[Artisi]

I highly doubt there is a shortage of childern in South Africa.

Kind of like shipping cole to West Virginia. No profit in that hence why do it.

Would be Nat King Cole?

[ukrules]

Well there is a World Cup taking place in South Africa. Given the inclinations and peversitys of some footie fan this revelation is not suprising, sadly it is to be expected.

So you're saying that as a group of football fans it's not surprising this kind of thing happens ? What are you basing this on ?

Was there some study proving that footbal fans have a higher proportion of perverts than the general population or did you just make it up for some unknown reason ?

[Lumumba]

I would never doubt that Thai kids might be smuggled to SA. Reason is some of the Asians might like to take people with same resemblance to them. I know so many couples that adopted kids from eastern europe.

[astral]

I highly doubt there is a shortage of childern in South Africa.

Kind of like shipping cole to West Virginia. No profit in that hence why do it.

Would be Nat King Cole?

Nah, Nat King Coal.

[Nodnyl]

What's happening with these poor children? Slavery? In Africa? Who knew?

Unfortunately If this story is true I would guess the Thai's would be 16 year old girls, it is sad that many of the brothels in South Africa are filled with thais, the story below is one of many in South Africa.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Sex-traffickers-face-R100m-or-life-20100323

Sad but true

This story is not true is Bull http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Trafficking-story-retracted-20100630

[Considered Opinion]

Well isn't that the most amazing thing... A story on the board that wasn't true... OMG

[cdnvic]

Trafficking story retracted

2010-06-30 21:12

Maputo - The Mozambican publication Canalmoz on Wednesday retracted a story about human trafficking at the Komatipoort border and apologised to its readers and the South African authorities.

The publication's source had "started to say different things", said Fernando Veloso, director of the online daily Canalmoz.

"In fact, I don't know if the story is real or if the source lied," he said.

Full article:

http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Trafficking-story-retracted-20100630

[Dr. Zorg]

Highly unlikely. There are hundreds of street kids available in SA. The young Thai girls in brothels are real, but not even "hundreds' of them. I doubt that.

[ballpoint]

And on a similar topic, a group of English children was recently found wandering aimlessly around South Africa. When apprehended, they claimed to be the national football team, however it became immediately obvious to all witnesses that this couldn't be the case, and so they were sent packing back to England. Human rights activists have deplored their treatment. "It is our understanding that these unfortunates will face widespread abuse and ridicule following their shameful treatment by the authorities" a spokesman said. "This experience will emotionally scar them all the way up till their next club paypacket arrives, which is less than 100,000 pounds a week for some of them. It's disgraceful". Police are believed to be looking for an Italian man suspected of bringing the children to Africa under false pretences.

[souvenirdeparis]

from Agence France Presse : today : former chief of SA police & ex chairman of Interpol Jackie Selebi was tried and found guilty of corruption ; received bribes from a drugs trafficker .