Police in Gauteng arrested three suspects in Johannesburg on Thursday following the discovery of 26 undocumented people locked up in a house in Sandringham.
A Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Philani Nkwalase, says police responded to a tip-off from neighbours about suspicious activities at the house.
He says upon arrival, they found 15 naked individuals, suspected to be Ethiopian nationals, held captive in the house, while 11 more victims were discovered and transported to the hospital for medical treatment.
A preliminary investigation by the police revealed that some victims broke open a window and burglar bars to escape but were rounded up by police near the scene.
Colonel Nkwalase says the investigation led them to the arrest of three suspects, also Ethiopian nationals allegedly involved in human trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm, as the suspects were found with a 9mm P Tokarev pistol, one magazine, but no ammunition.
The 26 undocumented men are being processed to determine their status as trafficking victims.
