South African woman rescued from human trafficking scam in Thailand

The Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) has again rescued a human trafficking victim in Thailand.

According Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela, the woman and her cousin fell for a human trafficking scam disguised as a job opportunity in Thailand.

The woman and her cousin were bought ticket to Thailand by the prospective employers. Once they landed at the airport, they were driven 12 hours out of Thailand.

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“Passports were confiscated and they were told they would work as prostitutes for a minimum of three years,” said Monyela.

The woman escaped from the trafficking ring after lying about having a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

The employers took her back to the airport with a return flight ticket, which turned out to be fake. The woman slept at the airport for two days before receiving help.

Although the woman is safe, her cousin, however, has disappeared.

I just spoke to the lady. She is safe. We’re getting her a plane ticket to fly back home. She escaped prostitution by lying that she’s got an STI.

“Everything she and her ‘cousin’ were promised were lies. The case of her cousin has been reported to the police. Our embassy will monitor progress thereof,” said Monyela.

“Please warn your family members; human trafficking is real. Please don’t fall for unsolicited job and study offers abroad. There are too many scams and human traffickers.

“If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is. Find and inform SA embassies of your presence in any foreign country. That’s your home away from home.”

Human trafficking in SA

The human trafficking syndicates, however, also operate within South Africa.

The 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report by the US Department of State last week revealed that human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in South Africa.

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They recruit victims from neighbouring countries and South Africa’s rural areas and exploit them in sex trafficking in urban areas such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Bloemfontein.

“Traffickers force both adults and children, particularly those from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities and rural areas as well as migrants, into begging, domestic service, mining, food services, construction, criminal activities, agriculture, and the fishing sector,” reads the report.

“Traffickers recruit both foreign and South African victims through fake job advertisements on social media and classified advertisement forums, including advertisements for webcam modelling, hospitality, mining, and domestic work. Some fake advertisements, particularly for domestic work, specifically request Zimbabwean or Malawian applicants.”

READ MORE: 2024 human trafficking report reveals alarming exploitation trends in SA