Cape Town – The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has rescued a South African woman from a human trafficking ring in Thailand.
The woman and her cousin were lured by a job scam, only to have their passports confiscated and forced into prostitution.
The woman escaped by falsely claiming she had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and was abandoned at the airport with a fake return ticket. She is now safe, but her cousin remains missing, Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.
“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 & her ‘cousin’ were promised were lies.
“The case of her cousin has been reported to the police. Our embassy will monitor progress thereof.
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 & her ‘cousin’ were promised were lies. The case of her cousin has been reported to the police. Our embassy will… https://t.co/U64uMDt7YS
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) August 18, 2024
“The traffickers booked one way tickets for them. The return tickets were fake. They drove 12 hours out of Thailand.
“Passports were confiscated & they were told they’d work as prostitutes for a minimum of 3 yrs. Please warn your family members. Human trafficking is real,” Monyela said on X.
HE urged South Africans to be cautious of unsolicited job offers abroad and to stay in contact with local embassies.
“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 syndicates are active within South Africa, exploiting both domestic and foreign victims, according to the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report by the US Department of State.
Traffickers target individuals from neighboring countries and rural South African areas, forcing them into sex trafficking in urban centers like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Bloemfontein.
Victims, including adults and children from disadvantaged communities, are also coerced into begging, domestic service, mining, and other sectors.
“Traffickers recruit both foreign and South African victims through fake job advertisements on social media and classified advertisement forums, including advertisements for webcam modeling, hospitality, mining, and domestic work.
“Some fake advertisements, particularly for domestic work, specifically request Zimbabwean or Malawian applicants,” the report said.
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By Betha Madhomu
