JMPD K9 rescues four women from human trafficking

The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department K9 Unit arrested two suspects on suspicion of human trafficking and rescued four women between the ages of 20 to 30 years in a joint operation in Randburg on Thursday night‚ City of Johannesburg MMC for public safety Michael Sun has revealed.

He said that after receiving a tip-off‚ the Office of the JMPD K9 Unit traced the suspects to a house in Rider Street in Randburg where two Nigerian nationals and the four female victims were found. One of the women is from Riverlea‚ while the other three are from the Northern Cape.

The four women confirmed to the police that they were raped and photos of them wearing nothing but lingerie were taken by force. Their semi-nude photos were then posted on a website called “Red Velvet” to solicit prostitution business. The women also said that they had been held captive at the premises against their will‚ Sun said.

Sun said he was shocked at the ordeal these women had gone through.

“We will not tolerate such heinous acts of crime to be done to our sisters. We will continue to bring down these criminal syndicates and do all we can to ensure that they receive the harshest jail sentence possible‚” he warned.

Sun added that JMPD together with other law enforcement agencies would clamp down on brothels and human trafficking within the City‚ saying the crime of forcing young girls and women into prostitution must be arrested.

The women have since been taken to a place of safety by the SAPS and one of them has been reunited with her parents.

The two suspects are currently being detained at the Randburg Police Station to face criminal prosecution‚ Sun said.