THE 23 South Africans who were trafficked to Myanmar with the promise of lucrative job opportunities and repatriated back home last week have been reunited with their families and would continue to receive psychosocial support.

In an update on Saturday, Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo said medical assessments were conducted on some of the alleged victims of trafficking from Myanmar.

Mbambo stated that some still suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of their ordeal and only wanted to be reunited with their families.

“Every one of the suspected victims has been reunited with their family members.”

She advised that victims will continue to receive psychosocial support before any statements can be obtained from some of them.

The repatriation of the victims was part of a bilateral cooperation agreement to combat human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime signed by the Kingdom of the Republic of Thailand and South Africa in 2023.

Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the 23 South Africans formed part of 7 000 other individuals from various countries who were rescued from compounds during a raid in February.

Earlier this month, seven of 32 identified South African victims returned safely to South Africa.

Phiri said before leaving South Africa last year, these men and women were lured to Thailand under false pretenses by an employment agency that promised them lucrative jobs advertised on various social media platforms.

“These adverts promised the victims good salaries, free accommodation, comprehensive travel expenses, and other lucrative benefits. Once in Thailand, they were transported to Myanmar against their will,” he said.

According to Phiri, the victims were held captive for more than four months in a cybercrime compound in Myanmar, which borders Thailand.

He said they endured brutal treatment, including intimidation, physical torture, and forced labour.

“They were also compelled to engage in illicit activities, including online scams that targeted individuals worldwide.”

Describing the ordeal, Phiri said the victims were kept under constant armed guard and forced to work 16 hours a day. If they refused, they were beaten and tortured. They were given spoiled food and contaminated water, and they had no access to medical treatment. A ransom of approximately R50 000 was demanded for their release.

The 2024 United Nations Global Report on Trafficking in Persons reveals that human trafficking relentlessly targets vulnerable individuals, as evidenced by both persistent and emerging trends.

According to the report, women and girls remain the biggest share of detected victims worldwide, accounting for 61% of the total in 2022.

The report found that the dynamics of trafficking in persons are also changing.

“It is becoming an increasingly global and transnational phenomenon, with more nationalities and more countries of destination detected than before. A third of all cross-border human trafficking flows involve citizens of Africa, where the impact of crises has been particularly stark, and where there are more people at risk than anywhere else.”

Cape Times

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Families reunited after Myanmar trafficking ordeal