Syndicate targets girls

Suspects photograph Indian children; kidnap attempt thwarted

LENASIA residents are on the lookout for a child trafficking syndicate after the attempted kidnapping of a young girl on Tuesday last week.

Muhammed Lorgat, an executive member of the Muslim Response Unit, said a man approached the seven-year-old girl and the domestic worker who was escorting her home from Islamic religious classes.

“The domestic recognised the man as she had seen him outside the madrassa class two weeks prior,” said Lorgat. “The man told her the girl was his daughter and insisted on taking her, but the domestic grabbed her and managed to flee. The man, who she suspects to be a foreigner, left the scene.

“The domestic said two other men waited in a white BMW parked nearby.

“The response unit checked the closed-circuit TV footage and found that the white BMW was seen driving around the neigh- bourhood for about two days,” said Lorgat.

He said that earlier in the week a group of children were taken to a park opposite their primary school for physical education.

Their teacher noticed the children being watched and photographed by two men. Before she could approach, the men fled.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said the domestic worker had opened an assault charge.

“She alleged that the suspects, in a BMW, tried to kidnap the child of her employer — but she was assisted by two men and the suspects drove away.

“We are not aware if the suspects are involved in child trafficking,” said Dlamini.

This week, Azaadville neighbourhood watch member Aadil Desai said the organisation had been told by the Eastdene neighbourhood watch that young girls were photographed outside the Eastdene mosque on Tuesday.

“Three men in a VW Polo were parked outside the mosque and were taking pictures of the girls on their way home. These girls are under the age of 12,” said Desai.

Lorgat said these reports indicated that Indian girls are being targeted by a child-trafficking ring.