The Department of Employment and Labour said seven Chinese and Taiwanese nationals who were arrested last week on charges that include the trafficking of illegal immigrants made a court appearance on Thursday.
The four males and three females were arrested on November 12 in a joint operation by the Department's Inspection and Enforcement Services in Gauteng, the SAPS and the Hawks.
The Department said the arrests followed a tip-off that “the Chinese and Taiwanese nationals were allegedly involved in the trafficking of illegal immigrants and subjecting them to forced labour.”
The accused were not formally charged and they were remanded in custody to 28 November for a formal bail application.
The Department of Employment and Labour said during the raid on the company, Beautiful City Pty Ltd, in Village Deep in Johannesburg, they found minor children employed working at the factory.
It said the employer was also violating several laws that included the National Minimum Wage Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act as well as the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
“An audit by the Department found that there were 91 workers employed at the factory during the raid.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Employment and Labour said further charges will be brought with regard to the non-compliance with the Unemployment Insurance Act and the Unemployment Insurance Contributions Act.
