Two Punjabis face human trafficking trial in New Zealand
Monday, 09/11/2015
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/
Wellington : The trial of two Indian-origin men among three facing human trafficking charges in New Zealand will begin on Monday. IANS
They were allegedly involved in the trafficking of 18 Indians. All the three men, however, have pleaded not guilty.
Satnam Singh, Jaswinder Singh Sangha and a third man with name suppressed are the first persons in New Zealand to be charged with people trafficking, the New Zealand Herald reported.
The accused would be tried in the high court at Nelson city after the jury selection and pre-trial formalities were completed on Friday.
During their arrest in August last year, the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) alleged that the three persons were involved in the trafficking of 18 Indians to work in the horticulture industry in 2008-09.
Satnam and Jaswinder were arrested from Motueka town in New Zealand, an important agricultural region north of Nelson while the third man was arrested from Auckland.
Both of them were charged under the Crimes Act of arranging the entry of people into New Zealand by coercion or deception.
Jaswinder and the third man also face charges of knowingly producing a false or misleading document to an immigration, visa, or refugee status officer.
