5 Joburg Women Rescued From Human Trafficking Ring in Durban, Lured to With Call Centre Job

5 Joburg Women Rescued From Human Trafficking Ring in Durban, Lured to With Call Centre Job

  • Five women who are originally from Johannesburg were rescued in Durban North on Wednesday
  • The women were allegedly lured to Durban with the prospects of working as call agents in KwaZulu-Natal
  • Upon arrival at the luxury home, the "boss" told the women that they would be working in the sex trade

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DURBAN - On Wednesday, 3 March five women were rescued from accused human traffickers at a luxury residence in Durban North. Reports say the women were tricked to come the home from Johannesburg.

The ladies were attracted to Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, by promises of work as call centre agents. SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala says the women are between the ages of 19 and 27.

Human trafficking, women rescued, Durban, KZN, Johannesburg, luxury home
Five women were lured to Durban with job opportunities but ended up in a human trafficking ring. Image: Darren Stewart
Source: Getty Images

One of the victims met a person in Johannesburg who informed her about the job opportunity. He told that she should recruit more women for the job post.

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According to The Witness, the suspect informed her that the job would entail selling sim cards to elite people. The man who offered the jobs also went as far as visiting the woman's mothers to convince them of the legitimacy of the job.

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Gwala says he also presented documents that made the job offers legitimate.

"The woman then convinced four more women, her relatives being among the four, to take up the job offer," said Gwala.

On 28 February, all the women boarded a bus and made their way to Durban. Their bus tickets were paid for by the man who recruited them for the job.

One of the victims told the police that upon arrival at the Durban North home, they were told to clean up before meeting up with the boss who would give them details about the job they had been recruited for.

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In a meeting with the boss, they were told that they were made aware that they would be working in the sex trade industry. They were also told that they are not allowed to go to the front of the house where people could see the.

The boss also called the women into a room individually where he allegedly touched them inappropriately. According to TimesLIVE, throughout the incident, one of the females was able to discreetly use her phone to seek assistance.

Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the provincial commissioner, received this information and spearheaded an operation that culminated in their rescue on Wednesday. A human trafficking case has been launched and turned over to the Hawks for further investigation.

33 Human trafficking victims from Ethiopia rescued in Midrand, 65 others sold for R17 000 each

Briefly News previously reported that Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) K9 unit and police highway patrol have rescued 33 people believed to be Ethiopian human trafficking victims on Thursday, 2 December.

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One man alleged to be an Ethiopian national was arrested in relation to selling human beings. The rescue mission took place at Glen Austin in Midrand, Johannesburg.

Wayne Minnaar, JMPD spokesperson says the police were unable to save 65 other people who allegedly sold off to business owners for R17 000 each before the police arrived on the scene, reports TimesLIVE.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Lebogang Mashego avatar

Lebogang Mashego (Current Affairs HOD) Lebogang Mashego runs the Current Affairs desk. She joined the Briefly News team in 2021. She has 6 years of experience in the journalism field. Her journalism career started while studying at Rhodes University, where she worked for the Oppidan Press for 3 years. She worked as a lifestyle writer and editor at W24 and Opera News. She graduated with a BA degree majoring in Journalism and Media Studies in 2017. She's a recipient of the INMA Elevate Scholarship. Email: lebogang.mashego@briefly.co.za