Johannesburg – Three young women from Botswana who were being trafficked to Sierra Leone have been rescued by police at OR Tambo International Airport.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said the women, aged 20 to 23, were reportedly lured via social media by a syndicate under the false pretence of job opportunities in Sierra Leone.
She said the South African Police Service (SAPS) rescued the women on Friday, 7 November 2025, at OR Tambo International Airport.
The police spokesperson added: “The victims were en route from Botswana to Sierra Leone via South Africa and Nairobi when they were intercepted and rescued by members of INTERPOL NCB Pretoria and the Germiston Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit after landing at OR Tambo International Airport”.
Lieutenant Colonel Van Wyk said a preliminary report suggests the Botswana High Commission in Pretoria had alerted INTERPOL to assist in tracing the missing victims.
