DIRCO urges vetting following rescue of 23 South Africans from Myanmar
The group was lured to the Asian country under the false pretense of a lucrative job.
Picture: Pixabay.com
JOHANNESBURG - The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) is once again urging people to vet foreign employment agencies following the rescue of 23 South Africans from Myanmar.
The group was lured to the Asian country under the false pretense of a lucrative job.
Instead, they were taken hostage, subjected to forced labour, torture and given spoiled food as their daily meals.
READ: DIRCO repatriates 23 South Africans held captive & forced to engage in illicit activities in Myanmar
The South Africans were part of a group of 7,000 people rescued through an international effort by several countries aimed at combating human trafficking across the world.
International Relations Spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said people are welcome to contact DIRCO to verify any international job agencies.
"Unscrupulous human traffickers keep changing and improving their methods in an effort to defeat and evade law enforcement agencies. These criminal syndicates are highly organised and can be very good at recruiting potential human trafficking victims."