Cape Town – Police in Johannesburg have arrested 32 Ethiopian nationals who escaped from a house in Lombardy on Wednesday amid suspicions of human trafficking.
The individuals, some of whom were minors, fled the premises half-naked and sought refuge in local shops.
Authorities believe they were victims of a trafficking syndicate.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said that the escapees, who do not speak English, have been detained for being in South Africa illegally.
“We tried to interview them to find out who they are and where they come from, but we found out that they don’t understand English. So, we took them to the police station.
[WATCH] Police have confirmed that 32 foreign nationals who broke out of a house in Lombardy East have been arrested
Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo says they have been detained for being in the country illegally. KH #KayaNews pic.twitter.com/o14tKOgYnT
— Kaya News (@KayaNews) March 26, 2025
“We were told it was not only just these eight; there are still some others around. We went looking for the others, and we found another 24 of these people. So, it means then we got 32, so we brought them to the police station,” Masondo said.
“We found out that they are all from Ethiopia. Preliminary investigations led us to a house still here in Lombardy where it is alleged that these peopel were kept against their will. Indeed we found out that the door was broken. So it shows that they forced themselves out.”
Police are investigating the case alongside the Border Management Authority and the Department of Home Affairs. The owner of the house remains at large.
Lombardy East, Joburg: About 50 foreign nationals escape from alleged kidnapping situation. Residents say suspicious activity had been happening for weeks. #SAnews #CrimeAlert #LombardyEscape pic.twitter.com/qxbVsXBMMQ
— Isabella Marie Thompson (@Isabella031993) March 26, 2025
“For now, we have kept them as illegal immigrants. We are investigating, we are searching for the owner of the house. So we are still trying to establish how they got into our country ,” said Masondo.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
