A CHINESE national appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court yesterday for attempting to illegally traffick three 17-year-old girls to his country into forced marriages.
Chen Dehu (39), a Chinese national, Joseph Rabson (44) and Shame Mafido (57) appeared before magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa who remanded them to today for bail ruling.
The trio were charged with contravening the Trafficking in Persons Act.
Chen, who is married to Rabson’s child, arrived in Zimbabwe on October 3 this year allegedly to traffick unsuspecting victims to China.
It is alleged that Chen connived with Rabson and Mafido and recruited three victims after promising them fake education scholarships and jobs.
The State heard that Rabson and Mafido are close relatives to the victims.
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It is alleged that on October 18, 2023, the trio transported the three victims from Karoi to Harare and booked a room for them at 27 Hillview Lodge, where they stayed for four days awaiting the processing of their travel documents.
The State heard that the accused persons fraudulently acquired new birth certificates to alter their ages from 17 to 20 years.
Detectives from CID Counter Terrorism Unit arrested the three at the lodge after receiving a tip-off that there were minors harboured at the property.