Africa-Press – Mozambique. Six Vietnamese women, aged between 25 and 35, who had been trafficked for sexual exploitation, were on Thursday night rescued from captivity on Filipe Samuel Magaia Avenue by the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) in Maputo.
Following the operation, three suspects, two men and a woman of the same nationality, were arrested and charged with involvement in the crime of human trafficking.
According to João Adriano, SERNIC spokesperson in Maputo city, the suspects lured the victims with false promises of employment in Mozambique, facilitating their entry into the country with tourist visas.
However, upon arrival in the country, the women were stripped of their passports and other identification documents and held captive.
The SERNIC spokesperson explained that the network was dismantled following a complaint filed by one of the victims, who contacted the police.
“Documentation analysed indicates that one group arrived in the country in 2023 and the other in the first months of 2024. This information was obtained with the collaboration of one of the victims, whose complaint enabled the start of the operational action,” Adriano explained.
SERNIC is investigating the way in which the suspects gained access to the two residences used as brothels.
“Investigations also point to the use of psychoactive substances as a means of controlling the victims. We are verifying whether there are rental contracts and the involvement of accomplices, including of national citizens,” Adriano concluded.
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