South Africa intercepts 30 migrants at OR Tambo as human trafficking fears rise

South Africa’s Border Management Authority has disrupted two suspected human trafficking operations at OR Tambo International Airport, intercepting 30 foreign nationals whose travel patterns and documents raised red flags for border officials.

• South Africa’s Border Management Authority has intercepted 30 foreign nationals at OR Tambo International Airport in two suspected human trafficking cases.
• Fourteen Ethiopians and sixteen Bangladeshis were stopped after intelligence checks flagged suspicious travel patterns and fraudulent visas.
• Officials say the interceptions highlight the growing sophistication of trafficking networks targeting South Africa as a transit route.
• The Authority has intensified border security during the festive season and increased collaboration with global partners to curb irregular migration and organised crime.

The incidents took place on Thursday, December 11, during what authorities describe as an intensified festive season security push aimed at curbing irregular migration and transnational crime.

Acting Commissioner Jane Thupana confirmed that the interceptions were the result of enhanced intelligence analysis and tighter screening at the country’s busiest airport.

In the first case, officers stopped 14 Ethiopian nationals, including 9 women, after advance passenger data flagged an unusual travel pattern.

Officials said the group had flown in on an Ethiopian Airlines service and appeared to be following a route often exploited by trafficking networks. Preliminary checks suggested a common tactic in which migrants transit through South Africa to neighbouring countries before attempting to re-enter the country undetected.

A separate incident saw 16 Bangladeshi men intercepted after officials discovered they were carrying fraudulent South African visas. They had arrived on a different Ethiopian Airlines flight and were flagged when officers noticed them blending too easily with groups of South African passengers in the maze area.

Behavioural profiling prompted a secondary inspection, during which their documentation was confirmed as fake, and their stated travel intentions were found to be inconsistent with legal entry requirements.

Thupana praised the teams involved, saying their vigilance and technical capability were proof that the Authority’s intelligence-led model is working.

She said the combination of advanced data systems, targeted profiling, and rapid enforcement is now central to preventing South Africa from becoming a corridor for criminal syndicates.

With holiday travel volumes increasing, the Authority has tightened border security across all ports of entry.

Officials say the BMA will continue working with both domestic and international partners to prevent visa fraud, human trafficking, and other crimes that threaten national security.