SAPS
Police in Limpopo intercepted a convoy of motor vehicles packed with undocumented people travelling from Zimbabwe along the N1 North outside Polokwane on Thursday.
Spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba says the 11 vehicles, consisting of eight Quantums, two Double Cab bakkies and one Fortuner, were overloaded with 133 people.
She says after the vehicles were tactically approached and searched they found 73 underage children, some as young as six months old, including 60 adults.
Brigadier Mashaba says the passengers could not provide the legal documentation for being in the country and were placed under arrest.
She says some of the passengers did not even know where they were going and are suspected to be victims of human trafficking.
This follows just six days after the newly established Border Management Authority of South Africa conducted a sting operation at the Beitbridge Border post where 443 children, travelling without guardians were denied entry into the country.
Another 150 adults were later apprehended and stopped from entering.
Brigadier Mashaba says the Department of Home Affairs and Social Development were summoned to the scene to process the undocumented persons while all eight vehicles were confiscated.
She says this is an ongoing investigation.
