Border Management Authority disrupts suspected human trafficking operations at OR Tambo International Airport

The Acting Commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA), Ms Jane Thupana, has confirmed two significant interceptions carried out by BMA immigration and border law enforcement teams at OR Tambo International Airport yesterday, 11 December 2025. These interventions form part of the Authority’s intensified efforts to combat human trafficking, irregular migration and transnational organised crime, particularly during the festive season peak.

In the first incident, on 11 December, fourteen Ethiopian nationals, comprising five males and nine females, were intercepted upon arrival. They were all travelling on Ethiopian Airlines flight. Their interception followed the BMA’s analysis of passenger details which flagged their movement pattern as suspicious. Preliminary investigations revealed a modus operandi commonly used in human trafficking syndicates, where individuals attempt to transit through South Africa en route to neighbouring countries and later re-enter South Africa. As a result of these findings, all fourteen individuals were intercepted.

In a separate incident, sixteen Bangladeshi males were intercepted, after BMA officials discovered that they were in possession of fraudulent visas. The group arrived in another Ethiopian airline and were identified after officers noticed them blending suspiciously among South African travellers in the maze area. Through profiling, the individuals were separated from the queue and referred to the BMA  Border Law Enforcement Office for secondary investigation. Their documentation was confirmed to be fraudulent and their intentions inconsistent with legitimate travel, raising concerns of possible human trafficking activity.

Acting Commissioner Thupana commended the officers involved for their vigilance, technical capability and swift action, emphasising that these interceptions demonstrate the effectiveness of the BMA’s intelligence-led approach to border management. She noted that the Authority’s integrated use of advance passenger data, behavioural profiling and on-the-ground enforcement remains central to preventing South Africa from being exploited as a corridor for criminal networks.

The BMA continues to tighten border security measures during the festive season and remains committed to protecting the Republic from irregular migration, visa fraud, and human trafficking syndicates. The Authority will continue to work with national and international partners to ensure that South Africa’s ports of entry are secure and that all attempts to undermine national security are decisively countered.

Media enquiries contact:
Mmemme Mogotsi
Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Communications and Marketing
Cell: 072 856 4288
Operation HI -TIVISE – Report suspicious activities on 0801 229 019, or via the BMA website platform on www.bma.gov.za