Mapaballo Borotho
- The BMA intercepted fourteen Ethiopians and sixteen Bangladeshis at OR Tambo in a suspected human-trafficking and visa-fraud incidents.
- Officials flagged unusual travel patterns and discovered fraudulent documentation.
- The authority says it is intensifying border security during the festive season to curb trafficking and irregular migration.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has disrupted what is believed to be a human trafficking ring after intercepting fourteen Ethiopian nationals at OR Tambo International Airport.
The group, comprising five males and nine females, was stopped upon arrival on Wednesday after passenger-movement analysis flagged their travel pattern as suspicious. They had all arrived on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
Acting BMA Commissioner Jane Thupana says the interception followed detailed analysis of passenger information.
“These interventions form part of the Authority’s intensified efforts to combat human trafficking, irregular migration and transnational organised crime, particularly during the festive season peak,” she said.
Preliminary investigations revealed a modus operandi commonly used by human trafficking syndicates, where individuals transit through South Africa to neighbouring countries and later re-enter the country. As a result, all fourteen individuals were intercepted.
In a separate incident, sixteen Bangladeshi males were also intercepted after being found with fraudulent visas.
Thupana confirmed they had arrived on another Ethiopian Airlines flight and were identified when officers noticed them blending suspiciously among South African travellers in the maze area.
“Through profiling, the individuals were separated from the queue and referred to the BMA Border Law Enforcement Office for secondary investigation. Their documentation was confirmed to be fraudulent and their intentions inconsistent with legitimate travel, raising concerns of possible human-trafficking activity,” Thupana added.
She says the BMA continues to tighten border security measures during the festive season and remains committed to protecting the Republic from irregular migration, visa fraud, and human-trafficking syndicates.
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