South Africa Police SAPS says it has rescued 90 undocumented Ethiopian nationals “allegedly being kept against their will” in Sunnydale Ridge, Johannesburg.
SAPS Special Task Force units say they made the discovery while tracing a victim of a kidnapping.
Police, in a statement on X, disclosed that the undocumented nationals were found “locked up, confined, and packed into rooms” and that “investigations are underway” to determine how they were trafficked into the country.
“We can confirm that the 90 undocumented Ethiopian nationals were all taken to hospital for further medical care," National Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said.
Two alleged human traffickers and kidnappers who were found on the property have been arrested, according to the police.
SAPS disclosed that the kidnapped victim they were tracing was also among the rescued.
“The victim was kidnapped in Benoni on Tuesday afternoon, where after his kidnappers immediately started demanding hundreds of thousands of ransom money from his family,” police said.
The Ethiopian nationals have been taken to hospital for medical care. The accused are likely to face charges of kidnapping and human trafficking.
South Africa has repeatedly had cases of human trafficking, with authorities stepping up efforts to curb illegal migrations and human trafficking in the country.
In June 2022, 39 people were rescued from a human trafficking ring in Mpumalanga Province, Eastern South Africa, with two persons charged in court.
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