Three Botswana women were rescued at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday after falling victim to a suspected human trafficking syndicate. The women, aged between 20 and 23, were reportedly deceived by criminals who lured them through social media with false promises of lucrative employment in Sierra Leone.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk confirmed that members of Interpol NCB Pretoria, working alongside the Germiston Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, intercepted the victims after they landed in Johannesburg. The women were reportedly in transit from Botswana to Sierra Leone via South Africa and Nairobi when authorities intervened.
“Preliminary reports suggest that the Botswana High Commission in Pretoria had alerted Interpol to assist in tracing the missing victims,” said Van Wyk.
Authorities are now investigating the syndicate behind the operation, believed to be part of a broader human trafficking network that targets vulnerable young women across Southern Africa. The victims are receiving support and counselling while arrangements are being made for their safe return home.
Meanwhile, in a separate but equally concerning development, the South African government revealed that it had received distress calls from 17 South African men trapped in the war-torn Donbas region of Ukraine.
The men, aged between 20 and 39, were reportedly recruited under false pretences to join mercenary forces in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, after being promised well-paying security contracts.
According to the Presidency, 16 of the men are from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape. President Cyril Ramaphosa has since ordered an urgent investigation into how the recruitment occurred and what measures can be taken to bring the men home safely.
“These incidents highlight the growing threat of transnational criminal networks exploiting unemployment and desperation through false job offers,” said an official from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
Law enforcement agencies across the region are warning citizens to remain vigilant when responding to overseas job advertisements, especially those circulated through social media and unverified recruitment platforms.
