BMA Disrupts Suspected Human Trafficking Attempts At O.R. Tambo International Airport

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has thwarted two suspected human trafficking operations at O.R. Tambo International Airport, intercepting a total of 30 foreign nationals in separate incidents this week.

According to officials, fourteen Ethiopian nationals and sixteen Bangladeshi nationals were stopped after arriving on Ethiopian Airlines flights.

The authority said the interventions follow heightened festive season operations aimed at reducing human trafficking, irregular migration and cross-border criminal networks.

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“In the first incident, on 11 December, fourteen Ethiopian nationals, comprising five males and nine females, were intercepted upon arrival. They were all travelling on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

“Their interception followed the BMA’s analysis of passenger details, which flagged their movement pattern as suspicious.”

 

BMA spokesperson Mogotsi said early investigations pointed to a trafficking method often used by syndicates. He explained that individuals are moved through South Africa to neighbouring countries before eventually re-entering.

Ethiopian Nationals Flagged After Suspicious Travel Pattern

The BMA’s risk profiling systems raised alerts during routine checks, prompting officials to intervene as the group disembarked. Officials are continuing with investigations to determine the extent of the suspected trafficking network.

Bangladeshi Group Found With Fraudulent Visas

“In a separate incident, sixteen Bangladeshi males were intercepted after BMA officials discovered that they were in possession of fraudulent visas.

“The group arrived on another Ethiopian airline flight and were identified after officers noticed them blending suspiciously among South African travellers in the maze area.”

The BMA said the festive period typically sees increased attempts by traffickers and irregular migration networks to exploit busy travel periods. Enhanced surveillance and intelligence-led operations will continue throughout the holiday season.

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