Mpumalanga police have launched an investigation after a 19-year-old man and his twin sister‚ originally from Kroonstad in the Free State‚ were allegedly lured into a human trafficking syndicate operating in Johannesburg.
The 19-year-old told police that he and his sister saw an advert on social media in February‚ calling on people with good mathematics skills to apply for a medical school in Johannesburg‚ said Brigadier Leonard Hlathi.
“After a few contacts with the school owner‚ an offer was made to arrange bus tickets for both of them from Kroonstad to Johannesburg as they could not afford to pay for themselves‚” said Hlathi.
“The man pretended to be a good Samaritan as he even deposited some money for food along the way.”
The two travelled to Johannesburg‚ where they were picked up at Park Station in a black BMW X6 and taken to a home.
“[At the house] they found other girls and boys [around] 24 in total‚” said Hlathi.
“They were suddenly injected with an unknown chemical‚ raped and assaulted‚” he added.
The 19-year-old man woke up in a Bushbuckridge hospital in Mpumalanga on Monday.
He reportedly told police that they were removed from the house on June 7.
He cannot recall what happened from there.
Police said the man had been found dumped next to a road in Bushbuckridge.
“When contacted‚ their aunt reported that she received a call from the twin sister [on Monday] telling her that she is on a flight to Lagos‚ Nigeria‚” Hlathi added.
The Hawks have been roped into the police investigation‚ which includes a case of kidnapping‚ rape and common assault.
-TimesLIVE
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