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18.02.2009 Crime & Punishment

Chinese Human Traffickers Remanded

18.02.2009 LISTEN
By Daily Guide

The three Chinese nationals who were arrested over the weekend for human trafficking have been remanded into police custody by an Accra Circuit court to reappear on March 2, 2009.

Briefing DAILY GUIDE on events that led to the arrest of the three, Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit at the Police Headquarters, DSP Patience Quaye said the activities of the three - James Xu Jin, 41; Chou Xiu Ving, 30, and Sam Shan Zifan, 26 - were put under surveillance for five months during which a journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas assisted the police to gather concrete evidence which led to their arrest.

The traffickers, the police boss said, charged $200 for a full night and $150 for half night or short time whilst outright sale of the victims cost $600.00.

Their residence, Peach Blossom Palace, which also served as a brothel situated at La in Accra is a no-go area for Africans except non-African expatriates.

The frontage of the Peach Blossom Palace is decorated to deceive members of the public into thinking the place is a drinking spot.

In another development, DSP Quaye revealed that two Ghanaians were also standing separate trials for a similar offence, adding that three out of four Ghanaian girls trafficked were rescued through a similar operation in Damascus, Syria.

She pointed out that the solution to such occurrences was for people to be very careful about their desire to travel.

She said some of these unscrupulous persons used advertisements in the media to lure unsuspecting victims, promising them lucrative jobs or scholarships only to be engaged in forced prostitution.

She indicated that in the case of the Ghanaian girls, they were victims of an advert aired on a local FM station at Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo region seeking to recruit a hundred girls for jobs abroad. They got to Damascus only to realize that the promise was a mirage.

She indicated that there was one more to be rescued from that country.

In all, seven Chinese nationals were rescued from last weekend's operation with three more to be rescued since they were out serving some clients during the police raid.

DSP Patience Quaye said James Xu Jin, but for his arrest, was to have travelled to China on Monday February 16 to bring more girls.

She promised that her outfit, despite the limited logistics, would do everything possible to ensure that justice does not elude the victims as well as ensure that they are sent back to their parents, adding that the girls are happy they have been rescued from the claws of Xu Jin, who sometimes physically abused them for making excuses.

By Rocklyn Antonio

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