BMA fouls suspected trafficking at OR Tambo

Border Management Authority (BMA) officials intercepted 30 foreign nationals in two separate incidents at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday, in what the authority believes may be part of a broader human trafficking and irregular migration network exploiting South Africa’s ports of entry.

Acting BMA Commissioner Jane Thupana confirmed that the interceptions; carried out on 11 December 2025; form part of intensified festive-season operations to curb human trafficking, visa fraud and transnational organised crime. She said the actions demonstrate the impact of the authority’s intelligence-led border management strategy.

The first incident involved 14 Ethiopian nationals; five men and nine women; who arrived on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. Their travel patterns had already been flagged during advance passenger analysis. According to Thupana, the behaviour and profile of the group matched methods often associated with trafficking syndicates.

“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,” she said. All 14 were intercepted after arrival for further processing and investigation.

In a second incident later the same day, BMA officials intercepted 16 Bangladeshi men who arrived on another Ethiopian Airlines flight. Officers noticed the group behaving unusually, blending among South African passengers in the maze area of the airport. They were separated from the queue after profiling raised red flags.

A secondary investigation at the BMA Border Law Enforcement Office revealed that all 16 were in possession of fraudulent visas. Authorities said the inconsistencies in their documentation, coupled with their suspicious movement patterns, raised strong concerns of possible human trafficking or organised smuggling.

Thupana praised the BMA teams for their vigilance. “These interceptions demonstrate the effectiveness of the BMA’s integrated use of advance passenger data, behavioural profiling and on-the-ground enforcement,” she said.

According to the authority, airports tend to see increased trafficking attempts during the festive period as criminal networks attempt to exploit higher passenger volumes.

Not the First Time OR Tambo Is Used for Suspicious Entry

This week’s interceptions highlight an ongoing challenge at South Africa’s busiest airport. It is not the first time foreign nationals have been found attempting to bypass immigration systems at OR Tambo. Previous cases have involved groups using back-door channels to gain illegal entry into the country, exploiting corrupt networks and weak points at the airport to evade checks. These incidents have contributed to growing concerns about the airport’s vulnerability to exploitation by international syndicates involved in human trafficking, smuggling and irregular migration.

The BMA said it continues to tighten security protocols and increase coordination among border law enforcement units to close these loopholes and prevent further abuse of South Africa’s ports of entry.

With the festive season underway, Thupana emphasised that the authority is intensifying surveillance, data analysis and behavioural profiling across all major entry points. The BMA also urged members of the public and the aviation sector to report suspicious activities.

The authority says it will continue working with national and international partners to protect South Africa’s borders and ensure that criminal networks attempting to use the country as a transit route are “decisively countered.”