NATIONAL NEWS - Linden Police Station and its Victims Support Unit want to send an urgent warning to dance studios to be aware of potential human traffickers.
This comes after they had to counsel a young woman who was being groomed to be taken by an alleged trafficker.
The suspect, described as well dressed and well spoken, befriended the young victim who is a dance instructor.
Armed with research and a fake identity, the suspect pretended to own a dance studio and was involved in the dancing world to gain the victim’s trust.
According to Lorraine Louw from the Victims Support Unit, the suspect pretended to know the victim and her boss to gain their trust.
“The suspect then told them he had been mugged and was nervous to drive so he asked the victim and her partner for a lift,” said Louw.
“In the vehicle, he made plenty of promises which included offering the victim an opportunity to dance for R16 000 at a show in Sun City and also said he owned a dance studio. That same night, he offered the victim and her partner to take them to dinner where they spoke further. The victim let her family know that she would be out late.”
But, after dinner, the suspect could not find his wallet and the victim’s partner had to pay for the meal.
The suspect also wanted to take them to an event where he claimed he was the MC from midnight to 4am but they declined his offer.
They then took the suspect to a hotel where he claimed to be staying before they went home.
The following morning, the suspect invited the victim to breakfast but she refused. Later that day, the suspect and victim met up at his alleged dance studio where he claimed that the BBC was interested in interviewing her about dancing and they discussed what was needed for the interview.
The suspect wanted to use a shuttle to fetch the victim, not Uber or Taxify which can be traced, and this set off the victim’s alarm bells.
