South African authorities rescue three Peruvian women from online scam operation

South African authorities rescued three Peruvian women from a lodge in Gqeberha during an operation targeted at an alleged online scam operation. Joburg ETC, The Citizen, IOL, Algoa FM, and The South African all reported that law enforcement officers intervened following human trafficking concerns. [1][2][3][4][5]

According to Joburg ETC, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, acted alongside the Department of Home Affairs after receiving a notification from the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The alert originated from the Peruvian government after an 18-year-old Peruvian woman was allegedly recruited under false pretences. Officers seized electronic devices at the scene as part of their ongoing investigation. [1]

Joburg ETC reported that the 18-year-old victim arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on 2 October 2026 before being taken to Gqeberha the following day. She was housed at a lodge in Bluewater Bay, where she discovered that the actual activities on the premises involved fraudulent online operations. [1]

Gqeberha serves as the main urban centre within the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality in the Eastern Cape province. The investigation into the human trafficking network and cybercrime activities remains ongoing. [1][8]