23 South Africans who fell victim to human trafficking (dressed as job offers) in Myanmar will arrive home today. Image: Department of International Relations and Cooperation shared via X @DIRCO_ZA.
(The Post News)– Twenty-three South Africans were rescued in Myanmar and returned home on Thursday after being kept captive by fake call centre and hospitality jobs employers. The group were on their way to Thailand and found themselves in Myanmar, forced to scam people online while living under “slave-like” conditions.
Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) spokesperson Clayton Monyela said that the group was rescued during a raid at the premises of their forced labour by Myanmar authorities. He said that 7,000 people from different countries were also rescued.
The spokesperson stated that the victims flew from Thailand and upon landing in Bangkok were collected by and “syndicate”, though nothing looked suspicious. They were then “taken on a 14-hour drive from Bangkok and as they were not familiar with the terrain they were not aware they were crossing the border.”
According to Monyela, the South Africans left at distinct times for work opportunities, but it is believed that three had stayed there for three years. He further warned people to be extra vigilant when accepting jobs online, especially if the offers are too good to be true, “because they could end up being victims of human trafficking syndicates.”
Monyela mentioned that there are still some South Africa citizens stuck in other countries, enduring slave-like conditions while others are turned into sex workers.
Monyela pleaded with young South Africans that are victims of high rate of unemployment in the country or check with Dirco before accepting job offers from abroad, citing that most human trafficking syndicates operating worldwide targets desperate job seekers
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