23 SA captives return home after months held in Myanmar

AFTER more than four harrowing months in captivity, 23 South Africans have safely returned home following a rescue mission from Myanmar, where they were victims of a human trafficking operation disguised as a job opportunity.

- SIFISO MAHLANGU

The group was lured to Southeast Asia with promises of high-paying jobs in Thailand. However, upon arrival, their passports were confiscated, and they were smuggled across the border into Myanmar. There, they were forced to work under brutal conditions in a cybercrime syndicate, where they were made to scam people online and were subjected to physical and psychological abuse.

South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), working closely with the Border Management Authority and international partners, played a critical role in securing their release and bringing them back to South Africa. The group landed safely on home soil over the weekend and is now receiving support and debriefing as part of their reintegration process.