Three human trafficking victims rescued at OR Tambo International Airport

Mapaballo Borotho

Three young women from Botswana were rescued from a human trafficking syndicate at OR Tambo International Airport.
The victims, aged 20 to 23, were lured through social media with false job offers in Sierra Leone.
Their rescue follows recent government warnings about human trafficking linked to fake overseas job opportunities.

Three Botswana nationals who were victims of human trafficking were rescued at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday, 07 November 2025.

The young women were saved by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk said the victims were travelling from Botswana to Sierra Leone via South Africa and Nairobi.

“The victims, aged between 20 and 23, were reportedly lured via social media by a syndicate under the false pretence of being offered job opportunities in Sierra Leone,” said Van Wyk.

They were intercepted and rescued by members of INTERPOL NCB Pretoria and the Germiston Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit after landing at OR Tambo International Airport.

A preliminary report suggests that the Botswana High Commission in Pretoria had alerted INTERPOL to assist in tracing the missing victims.

This incident comes just a few days after the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development warned the public about the dangers of human trafficking linked to fraudulent job offers overseas.

The warning followed reports of South Africans identified as potential victims of human trafficking in Myanmar, Asia.