JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - In a significant crackdown on human trafficking, a coordinated effort by the South African Police Service (SAPS), spearheaded by the Anti-Kidnapping Task Team, has led to the arrest of six individuals in Mayfair, Johannesburg. The suspects are being held on charges related to human trafficking, sex trafficking, kidnapping, and extortion, with their court appearance scheduled for today.

According to South African Government News Agency, the operation was a result of collaborative intelligence gathering that involved private security forces. This effort uncovered a Johannesburg-based human trafficking network that targeted Indian women, luring them with fraudulent job offers. Upon their arrival in South Africa, these women, aged between 20 and 24 years, were forcibly detained and subjected to sexual exploitation.

The breakthrough came on Wednesday when law enforcement officials, acting on precise intelligence, raided a residential address and a commercial establishment linked to the criminal operation. During the raid, officers confiscated multiple cellphones, a variety of documents including passports, and a sum of cash, all of which are being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.

The rescue of the two Indian women marks a critical step in dismantling the activities of this trafficking network, highlighting the SAPS's commitment to combating human trafficking and protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation.