More than 30 human trafficking victims rescued in Boksburg

Police have rescued about 33 suspected human trafficking victims on the East Rand.

The victims were rescued after they were found stashed in one room at a house in Boksburg, Gauteng, on Sunday evening.

Police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said detectives from KwaZulu-Natal were tracing a suspect in connection with a case where a foreign national was kidnapped in Springfield Park last week.

“Investigations led the police to a house in Boksburg and working together other national police specialised units, the house was tactically penetrated and thirty-three male victims were found cramped in the house and one suspect was arrested.

“The ages of the victims are yet to be confirmed and the suspect will appear in court soon,” Netshiunda said.

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Border management

Meanwhile, the Border Management Authority (BMA) has rescued approximately 443 children from Zimbabwe from potential trafficking into South Africa on Saturday.

The children were found in 42 buses during a coordinated effort by law enforcement at the Beitbridge border post.

Michael Masiapato, commander of the border guard, said the children under the age of eight were discovered travelling unaccompanied, raising the suspicion of human trafficking.

“Fairly, they were being trafficked into South Africa. We were able to take them out of those buses, we were able to engage with Zimbabwean officials and we were able to send them back for processing.”

The BMA said it prevented over 44,000 individuals attempting illegal entry into South Africa since the transitional period of April 2023.

Festive season

The BMA also provided an update on its state of readiness ahead of the festive season as  the country anticipates a significant influx of travellers during the holiday period.

The BMA said an extra 380 personnel will be deployed at selected busiest ports of entry to accommodate the movement of an estimated six million people through various borders, airports, and harbours in South Africa during December.

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