Hawks arrest foreign national in human trafficking operation in Milnerton
A 38-year-old foreign national will appear in court on Wednesday
Image: Independent Newspapers Archives
The Hawks have arrested a 38-year-old foreign national following a human trafficking operation in Brooklyn, Milnerton, which also led to the rescue of three possible victims believed to have been trafficked for sexual exploitation.
The operation, conducted on Sunday, 25 May 2026, saw a multi-disciplinary team consisting of the Hawks’ Economic Protected Resources (EPR) team, Law Enforcement SSIMS Unit, Metro Police, Metro Police K9 Unit, as well as the Department of Home Affairs, swoop on a house in the area.
Authorities said the arrest stemmed from a follow-up investigation which uncovered information relating to a suspected trafficker allegedly involved in trafficking young women for sexual exploitation.
During the raid, three possible victims between the ages of 21 and 26 were rescued from the property.
The suspect was immediately arrested and further investigations allegedly established that he was also in the country illegally.
He now faces charges of trafficking in persons as well as contravention of the Immigration Act.
Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani confirmed the arrest and said the suspect is expected to make his first appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 27 May 2026.
The arrest once again places a spotlight on Milnerton and surrounding areas, which have repeatedly surfaced in alleged human trafficking and sexual exploitation investigations over the past few years.
In one previous case linked to Brooklyn, a woman from Gauteng was allegedly recruited to Cape Town under false promises of work opportunities before she was reportedly forced into sex work and controlled through drugs and intimidation. She later managed to alert authorities, leading to the arrest of a suspect.
In another matter that drew significant attention in the Western Cape High Court, several accused appeared in court in connection with an alleged trafficking and brothel operation based in Brooklyn. Investigators alleged vulnerable women and girls were housed in properties and sexually exploited while being prevented from leaving freely.
More recently, Hawks investigations in Milnerton also led to the arrest of another suspected trafficker and the rescue of an alleged victim during a search-and-seizure operation conducted in the area.