Five alleged brothel owners have appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court for their illicit activities in Table View and Milnerton.
According to a report by the Hawks, Shantel Bridger (45), Juan Francois Warren (39), Camilla Amelia de Waal Rossouw (29), Fareez Allie (35), and Achmat Toffa (41) appeared in court on Friday 19 May following disruptive raids by an integrated team comprising of the Hawks, Crime intelligence, Metro Police and Law Enforcement. The raids were carried out on several suspicious properties around Parklands, Table View and Milnerton.
Hawks spokesperson, Captain Lloyd Ramovha, says follow-up investigations by the Anti-Human Trafficking team of the Hawks have since uncovered that Bridger and Warren were allegedly influential in extorting money from clients who apparently used the services of sex workers attached to their establishments.
“The pair allegedly pocketed almost R3 million between 2012 and 2015 from blackmailing clients by claiming to have recorded their sexual encounters and further threatening to post the said incidents on social media.”
He says the group is expected to appear in the same court on 9 June for a bail application.
“They are facing charges related to the illegal running of a brothel and extortion and possible additional charges in contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act cannot be ruled out.”
