Police dismiss reports of child trafficking

Port Elizabeth police have dismissed rumours of child traffickers operating in the Bay, calling the claims false social media posts.

Police have since appealed to social media users to refrain from posting unverified information.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said no cases of child trafficking had been reported to police in the metro, despite reports to the contrary.

Naidu said this after false reports were circulated on social media involving two unrelated incidents that seemed to have gone viral since Wednesday.

“The claims on social media warn of incidents of kidnapping of children in and around Nelson Mandela Bay,” she said.

“Since the social media reports, police in Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage have been inundated with calls from worried residents.”

One of the rumours, Naidu said, was of a truck, operated by a trafficking ring, transporting children between Nanaga and Port Elizabeth.

“There was a small van which was conveying illegal immigrants.

“The case is being dealt with by the Hawks and is more an immigration issue,” she said.

”There is a lot of information circulating about the abduction of children, and we acknowledge your fear as parents.”

Residents needed to be cautious when spreading unverified information, Naidu said. –