Johannesburg - A man was expected to appear in court on Monday for alleged human trafficking after 19 people were found locked up in Mondeor, south of Johannesburg.
According to Hawks spokesperson Captain Carol Mulamu, the suspect was arrested following a disruptive operation by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Team on Friday afternoon.
“The team received information of a supposed human trafficking syndicate that is allegedly keeping people hostage in Mondeor, south of Johannesburg.
“The team swiftly succeeded to trace the suspected location where they found 19 victims locked up. It is suspected that the plans were already afoot to move them (victims) to a different location,” Mulamu explained.
According to Mulamu, the man - believed to be a security guard- attempted to flee but was arrested by the team.
A shotgun and ammunition were also seized during the arrest, she said.
Mulamu added that 19 male victims were found in separate rooms inside the house and were taken to a place of safety for processing.
She further added that investigations into the alleged human trafficking case were still on going.
The man is set to appear in the Booysens Magistrate's Court on charges of alleged human trafficker.