By Marcus Moloko
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has confirmed two major interceptions at OR Tambo International Airport as it disrupted suspected human trafficking operations involving Ethiopian and Bangladeshi nationals on Thursday.
BMA Deputy Assistant Commissioner Mmemme Mogotsi said border law enforcement teams pounced after identifying suspicious travel patterns.
In the first incident, 14 Ethiopian nationals — five men and nine women — were intercepted upon arrival on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
According to Mogotsi, the group’s travel details raised red flags during routine passenger analysis.
Investigations revealed a modus operandi commonly associated with human trafficking syndicates, where individuals transit through South Africa en route to neighbouring countries before re-entering the country. All 14 were stopped and referred for further investigation.
In a separate incident, 16 Bangladeshi men were intercepted
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