A significant number of South African citizens are victims of a sophisticated human trafficking ring that lured them to Southeast Asia with false promises of employment before forcing them into captivity in conflict-ridden Myanmar, according to the non-governmental organization Brave to Love.
The group’s director, Byron Mann, confirmed in a televised interview that the victims reached out to his organization for assistance after being forcibly transported into Myanmar and held against their will in compounds run by criminal syndicates.
While an exact number is difficult to ascertain, Mann stated that information gathered from survivors who have returned home suggests that between 150 and 200 South Africans were trafficked into these camps.
“The syndicate is actually very professional with what they do online specifically,” Mann explained, detailing the deceptive recruitment tactics. “They actually go and research their target.”
The false job offers were tailored to the victims’ vulnerabilities, with offers ranging from positions as English teachers and online marketers to, in one case, an opportunity for two young men to play football overseas.
Upon arrival in Thailand, the victims are transported for six to eight hours to a river crossing, after which they are “bundled into the compound” in Myanmar, Mann described. He detailed deplorable living conditions, with victims housed in dormitories on bunk beds and given minimal rations.
The captives are forced to work 18 to 20-hour shifts running online scams, primarily targeting individuals in the UK and America. The scams focus on “sextortion” and “romance scandals,” where the South Africans, chosen for their English proficiency, are forced to build online relationships to convince victims to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes.
“They are forced literally forced under the threat of assault and fear of death,” Mann said, adding that those who fail to meet targets face beatings and fines.
Regarding rescue efforts, Mann reported that Brave to Love has been working to bring citizens home. He stated that while the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) was involved in repatriating the first 23 survivors, the department has since “made it official that they will not be repatriating any more South African citizens.”
Since DIRCO’s withdrawal, Brave to Love and other NGOs have taken the lead. Mann confirmed his organization is currently working to assist 41 individuals, with an additional six coming forward just today. He also revealed that three South African men are currently being held in a Myanmar prison for overstaying their visas, a situation he attributes to their trafficked status.
“These are people who have been coerced, lured across and trafficked,” Mann asserted. “So they are victims of human trafficking.”
He praised the response from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), the South African Police Service (SAPS), and the Department of Social Development (DSD), but expressed frustration with DIRCO’s reluctance, emphasizing that the detained citizens have no one to represent them.
Efforts to obtain an official statement from DIRCO on its stance regarding the repatriation of the remaining citizens are ongoing.