JOHANNESBURG — In a significant operation, the South African Police Service’s Special Task Force (SAPS STF) rescued ninety undocumented Ethiopian nationals along with a kidnap victim from a property in Sunnydale Ridge, Johannesburg. The Ethiopians were found in conditions described as inhumane, and the raid also led to the discovery of a kidnapping victim held for ransom.
According to South African Government News Agency, the operation was initiated while tracking a kidnapped individual who had been abducted in Benoni on Tuesday. During the search, the STF stumbled upon the Ethiopians locked up and packed into confined rooms. “Investigations are underway as to how these nationals were trafficked into SA,” stated the police, indicating that the Ethiopians have since been taken to a hospital for medical care.
The kidnapped individual, part of the group found, had been taken hostage earlier in the week, with his abductors demanding a ransom in the hundreds of thousands from his family. The rescue operation also led to the arrest of two suspects on the property, believed to be involved in both human trafficking and the kidnapping. These individuals are expected to be charged and will appear before the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court shortly.
The case has now been transferred to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (HAWKS) for further probing. The SAPS credited the success of the operation to the collaborative efforts of the crime intelligence unit, organized crime detectives unit, Sandringham and Daveyton SAPS, and private security forces.