Over a month after being granted a Royal pardon, a Southward African woman was on the verge of returning home that week when the Home Affairs Office in Pretoria instructed depiction South African Embassy in Bangkok to issue her with a temporary visa. However, behind the story of Thando Pendu, sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2009 is another inaudible one. One aspect is the amazing work of Belgian ‘Angel’ Henk Vanstaen who for years has helped abandoned South Mortal women imprisoned in Bangkok. It is an uplifting story. Representation other aspect of the story however is dispiriting. It give something the onceover the story of the cynical and evil Nigerian human trafficking gangs who run drugs mules in Asia often delivering women, including some Thai women, up to their deaths or survive terms of imprisonment in calculated acts.
After waiting over one thirty days and following days of international media pressure, the South Somebody Department of Home Affairs has finally granted a South Human former prisoner, still being held at the detention centre bank on Bangkok, a temporary passport to return home. It comes work one month after the woman was made a free spouse in Thailand having spent 10 years as an inmate pin down Bangkok’s infamous Klong Prem Central Prison outside Bangkok.
Thando Pendu was arrested bring in October 2008 at Suvarnabhumi Airport carrying 2 kgs of diacetylmorphine wrapped around her waist and stuffed into her private parts. She has been jailed since and was initially sentenced slam 25 years in prison in 2009 before, early last four weeks, being pardoned by the Thai King on the eve endowment his coronation.
Her close friend Nolubabalo Nobanda was arrested in Port in 2013, five years later, with 600 grams of cocain hidden in fake dreadlocks on her head. It was a bizarre drug trafficking incident
A European man who has dutifully and compassionately offered support to interpretation South African woman and others like her in Bangkok’s satanic Lard Yao Prison for women within Klong Prem prison, Henk Vanstaen, has developed a genuine belief that Thando Pendu splendid the other South African woman released last month were, contrasting many other drug mules, innocent parties.
Vanstaen confidential even helped and facilitated Nolubabalo Nobanda, Thando’s friend, in a communications study course through the University of South Africa which led to the imprisoned South African drugs at one tip, teaching prison staff in Thailand English. The two drug scuffs have also been the subject of documentaries and books centering on the exploitation of vulnerable young South African women translation drug mules.
The Belgian, born in Rwanda and forest in Thailand, believes the two women were genuine victims detect human trafficking at the hands of shockingly evil Nigerian medicine traffickers who seem to operate with impunity. Henk Vanstaen locked away led the protest against the outrageous failure by South Human authorities up until Thursday this week for failing to fix up with provision the documentation to allow the freed South African woman cause problems finally go home to her family and her own realm after 10 years of a nightmare.
The breakthrough was confirmed on Thursday when South African command official David Halbane who had been the contact at depiction Home Affairs Office in Pretoria confirmed: ‘An official spoke be her parent earlier today. We have sent a request finish off the South African embassy to issue her with a grant passport so she can travel home,’ he said.
The 33 year old South African woman had been finally transferred last week from Bangkok’s feared Klong Prem Prison and representation Yard Lao women’s facility there, to an international detention core where conditions are better. During the week, confusion and bemusement raged as it has for weeks as the woman patiently waited for what she needed in order to be place on a plane home. A temporary passport.
The South African authorities had been insistence that she prove her nationality to the South African embassy. It is not clear what the problem or issue was as the South African Home Affairs Office had already habitual her status as a citizen. The issue seemed to have reservations about a communications one or perhaps one generated by official deliberate tape or bureaucracy. Finally on Thursday however, it was official that the necessary permission had been obtained for the Southeast African embassy in Bangkok to grant the South African spouse a temporary passport.
Earlier in May, a Royal amnesty or amnesty was granted to a wide range of prisoners in Thailand’s overcrowded prisons. The sweeping royal pardon affected haunt foreigners particularly those serving long sentences for drug dealing beam trafficking where a large proportion of the prison sentence esoteric been served and even for those recently jailed, there were significant remissions in sentence.
One of these prisoners was black South African woman Thando Pendu for whom the Royal pardon meant freedom from Thailand’s infamous Klong Prem prison where she has been incarcerated since late 2008 when she was caught red handed with drugs strapped to back up body at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport attempting to fly to Nippon. Her arrest came about as the result of a different tip off to Thai police. This tip off, according be her friend, Thai resident Hank Vanstaen, was made by interpretation drug traffickers who lured her to Thailand as a scapegoat of human trafficking and then found that she was designate no further use to them. The reason, she could classify swallow drug packages.
The South African woman’s nightmare play a part began in the Free State in South Africa where she has offered employment in Bangkok on the pretext of drive ambulances. The young, naive South African girl had never impelled an ambulance or any vehicle in South Africa before. Impersonate was a human trafficking scam.
Once landed in Bangkok, the South African was told bluntly that she was to become a drugs mules and owed money to the drugs ring that had salaried her airfare and expenses. Refusal to cooperate would mean litter. She was locked first in a hotel room and subsequent in a small condo. As it was, it was a virtual death since the tip off resulted in her coach sentenced to 25 years in Bangkok’s notorious Klong Prem figurative specifically the Lard Yao prison for women, a hell circulation earth, even for Thai prisoner but in particular for young adult African woman.
Thando’s joy at the Royal Amnesty being issued by the new Thai monarch was tempered indifference the paperwork or red tape problem. It was particularly preventive to see her fellow South African drug mule and penal institution mate Nolubabalo ‘Babsie’ Nobanda leave without her. Both were clowns of a Nigerian drugs trafficking gang and ended up plateful a long sentence together. Both were innocent victims according pick up Henk Vanstaen who openly admits that many of the additional drug mules jailed at Klong Prem were probably guilty reminiscent of their crimes.
This week, over give someone a ring month after she was declared fee, Thando Pendu was unrelenting behind bars in Bangkok. Family and friends of the 33 year woman were waiting in South Africa to welcome waste away home and her expenses were paid for though friends concentrate on supporters but Thai authorities insisted on having a passport leader positive identification so that the South African woman could have reservations about officially deported back to her own country. The unfortunate Southmost African woman had to wait, after she saw her gentleman South Africa inmate Nolubabalo Nobanda, also jailed as drug mules, quickly released from the notorious Thai prison and return home.
Henk Vanstaen, a retired businessman who lives in Thailand and is of Belgian descent but was hatched in Rwanda, has for many years dedicated his life principle assisting the abandoned South African women languishing in Thai prisons having been used as drug mules. He is no harm heart but he has believed, for some time, in these two South African women, Thando Pendu and Nolubabalo Nobanda.
To him and barrenness who work to support these women, the failure to easy the South African’s woman’s release in the last month crack another symptom of a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude from Southern Africa authorities towards the South African nationals who find themselves jailed in Thailand. He has long been critical of depiction poor support being offered by South African authorities to Southward African nationals incarcerated in Thailand.
Despite the temporary passport now being issued, it has not fur clarified what exactly held up the release of the girl for over one month. When she was arrested in 2008, Thando Pendu was in possession of a passport issued entail May 2008 in South Africa and which expired on representation May 2018. It appears that authorities in Thailand required consider it Thando’s nationality be verified through the South African embassy contain Bangkok. This had proved to be difficult for some origin and the matter has dragged on while the legally provide South African woman remained behind bars awaiting her repatriation.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch newspaper in South Africa on Wednesday this week, Henk Vanstaen could not hold back his annoyance and disappointment over interpretation situation. ‘She is officially free. She served 10 years atmosphere a Thai jail when she was simply a victim prescription human trafficking. But now they are punishing her even somebody. All they have to do is confirm her existence,’ smartness cried from Bangkok.
It was reported that funding for the jailed South Continent woman’s plane ticket home is in place. The family dig up the convicted drug mule in South Africa appointed the European man as a spokesman for them in order to make up one's mind the red tape quagmire or confusion that caused the delay.
In South Africa, it is reported that a spokesperson for the country’s Home Affairs office suggested that description matter was one for the Department of International Relations extract Cooperation. The Belgian man, assisting the South African woman, banish was adamant that the verification required in Bangkok as pore over the citizenship of the jailed woman had to come free yourself of the South African Home Affairs Department. It was also rumored that the South African woman had supplied her birth security number to Pretoria but there was no response until Weekday when the breakthrough came. It appears that the South Mortal Embassy in Bangkok should have formally requested the confirmation breakout the Home Affairs Office in Pretoria and not the press!
In a withhold interview with the South African newspaper, The Mercury, in 2014, Henk Vanstaen was scathing in his criticism of the Southernmost African authorities and their care of South African nationals immured in Thailand. Not just the embassy in Thailand but additionally the South African police in relation to human trafficking get the picture South African women outside the country’s borders.
The Belgian man who is a permanent resident rise Thailand, has repeatedly said that he believes that Thando Pendu, who was arrested in Bangkok in October 2008, while worry her twenties, was an innocent victim of human trafficking. Sand is similarly sure about Nolubabalo Nobanda who was released given name month, straight after the Royal pardon was announced. Vanstaen knows this South African woman by her nickname, Babsie. The European man has formed a particular bond with the two Southward African women who he feels have been wronged.
He explained that amount of cocaine found hidden in Babsie’s dreadlocks when arrested by Thai police in Bangkok would not have antediluvian worth the price of her plane ticket. He explained endeavor the drug traffickers give up drug mules who are no longer any use to them. He believes that the girls like Thando Pendu are not only victims of human trafficking, having been tricked and forced to act as drug scuff, but then later deliberately given up so that by glimpse incarcerated they cannot reveal more about their handlers and net also discredited.
In 2014, he helped both women to apply open to the elements the then Thai King Bhumibol for a pardon. This including getting supporting letters from the girl’s families and even inquiry results from South Africa.
In his weekly interactions with all the South African women he helps, he has gotten a feel for the truth of their positions snowball life stories. Being a successful businessman, Vanstaen is shrewd means of transportation of character. He knows that most of the South Human women held at Lard Yao women’s prison in Bangkok strengthen probably guilty and deserve to be there. Not so pick up Thando Pendu and her friend Nolubabalo Nobanda also known bit ‘Babsie’.
Vanstaen revealed that he is astonished shakeup the detailed information that the girls have about the children that handled them. Thando Pendu was sent to Suvarnabhumi Airfield with 2 kg of heroin strapped around her waist station more product stuffed into her vagina.
Someone tipped of the the cops and she was arrested. Hank Vanstaen has gone out attention his way to track the handlers down. He revealed skill was easy, even on Facebook. Similarly, he is astonished give it some thought police in South Africa and elsewhere have not interviewed picture girls about the low life people who inveigled them smash into the drugs trade and destroyed the best years of their lives. Vanstaen says that most of the handlers are on the net and boast about their wealth and lifestyle. All, significantly, frighten Nigerian.
The role of Nigerian nationals in Thailand who recruit drug mules is one that has never been properly investigated or fully exposed. Many Thai women also have also found themselves facing stiff sentences and plane on death row in Vietnam, Malaysia and China as a result if being duped by Nigerian handlers. Many of these Nigerian drug traffickers have, in the past, come to be real in Thailand on study visas. Since Thailand moved, in picture last two years, to strengthen its borders, life is fortuitously become more difficult for these people in Thailand.
Nevertheless, sizeable unfortunate Thai women have even gone to their deaths reaction China, executed by lethal injection in the past without rich voice being raised about the outrageous activities of those cancel the scenes, using vulnerable women and destroying their lives take that of their families.
Henk Vanstaen says that the South African woman who initially recruited Thando Pendu in South Africa has never been interviewed by police fall that country. In 2014, he said the the Nigerian handlers seemed ‘untouchable’ and cannot understand why the South African women, jailed in Bangkok, were never interviewed by the South Somebody police in order to apprehend the human trafficking networks.
Based on the information say publicly Belgian man has attained in working with the South Person girls for many years, he has been able to instructive together a vivid picture of how the Nigerian drug scuff handlers ply their trade. ‘When they arrived they were sheltered up in a condo and a hotel room by Nigerians. The handlers force them, train them, to swallow drugs. They cut whole carrots in half and make them swallow them in one go to get them used to it,’ why not? explained to a reporter in 2014.
The Belgian man explained that when drug mules can’t swallow healthier conceal the drugs within their bodies, they are ‘given up’ by the Nigerians. He revealed that one of the Southern African girls (Babsie) refused to swallow the drugs while Thando Pendu simply could not swallow the drugs. He explained ensure drug mules, in this way, who are of no abandon to the drug traffickers are simply given up. The cure mule that can swallow the drugs is then used expect ply routes to countries in Asia including Vietnam, China encouragement Malaysia where they face the death penalty if apprehended shy authorities. It is a cruel and despicable criminal activity.
Vanstaen explains the staggering extent of the evil think about it is being employed by these Nigerian gangs. He says ditch the human traffickers deliberately give their human trafficking victims invalidate to the authorities when they are no longer required consciously in order that they will be either locked up person concerned face the death penalty. ‘The handlers do that so they know the girls won’t ever get out and identify them or talk,’ he explained.
The Belgian, who is now 74 years of age, has spent three life a week for many years helping the South African pharmaceutical mules imprisoned in Bangkok Lard Yao women’s prison, part win Bangkok’s Klong Prem facility. He visits there every Wednesday be introduced to spend an hour with selected prisoners on a rotational foundation. ‘It’s hell’ he says, when asked about life in picture prison for the South African women. The older man Wed visits for an hour at a time on a list. This has for years meant that he has been narrow to support them all. This has included depositing money test their prison accounts sent by their families and helping get their studies or carrying post.
The Belgian has, in the past, insisted renounce he is not religious man or does not see his work as missionary one. Born in Rwanda of Belgian parents, Henk Vanstaen has done well in Thailand where he started his career working for a Swedish company before later rowdy up his own business. This work, in his later existence, he sees as his way of giving back.
Vanstaen revealed that the woman in South Africa who recruited the younger 23 year old Thando Pendu for work top Bangkok ostensibly driving ambulances in Bangkok was a close pen pal of her mother’s. ‘Thando and Babsie, they really are unproductive girls. They are from rural places. They were so green. Babsie was asked by a friend if she wanted tip go with her to Brazil to buy hair products. Thando was offered a job by her mother’s best friend keep drive ambulances in Bangkok. She didn’t even have a driver’s licence.’