By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) rescued 27 illegal immigrants who were kept in a house in Edenvale on Saturday.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said officers received information about illegal immigrants on Saturday.
“The officers proceeded to the given location, and upon their arrival, they found approximately 30 illegal male immigrants who were trafficked into the country.
“While interviewing the illegal immigrants, they started running out of the room that they were kept in, and the officers managed to contain 27 victims,” said Fihla
He said Edenvale police, the Hawks, and immigration officials from the Department of Home Affairs Immigration were called to the scene.
The victims were taken to Edenvale Police Station for processing.
Fihla added the victims will be deported back to Ethiopia.
According to a recent report by the Justice Desk Africa, forms of human trafficking found in South Africa include sex trafficking, child labour, domestic servitude, organ smuggling, child-brides (ukuthwala), illegal child adoptions, debt-bondage, forced surrogacy, and the use of body parts for muti.
The human rights organisations indicates that South Africa remains a primary source, destination, and transit country for human trafficking.
Human trafficking occurs internally between our provinces as well as externally across our South African borders.
It says internally, victims are targeted from economically poorer provinces such as the Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape, and the Free State and brought to cities such as Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town, while externally, across borders, victims are targeted from countries with regions bedevilled by their own socio-economic and political problems. In Africa such countries include Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Report any human trafficking suspicions to 0800 222 777 or visit 0800222777.org.za or visit www.a21.org or www.nfn.org.za for more information.