The KwaZulu-Natal social development department is working to reunite four young women rescued from an alleged human traffic syndicate in Durban with their families.

The job seekers were allegedly lured from Johannesburg to Durban with the promise of call centre positions but instead learnt they were to be part of a sex trade racket.

Police said the four were rescued from a plush Durban North home last week after one of them managed to raise the alarm.

MEC Nonhlanla Khoza said the women were now safe “in the hands of the police and the department”.

“The preliminary report from our team of social workers stated that the young ladies who were rescued are in safe hands.

“A dedicated team of SAPS and department officials would not place the lives of these women at risk. The social workers are handling the psychosocial intervention while police are preparing for the case. Once that process is completed, the women will be integrated/reunited with their families,” she said.

“It is very painful to learn that the criminals use the desperation of unsuspecting women to lure them from as far as Johannesburg to Durban to be groomed as sex workers. However, our police officers quickly prevented that before happening after receiving a tip-off,” she said.

“We need all members of society to stand side by side with government to stop human trafficking and abuse of women and children in our province.

“We hope that other women who were entrapped in this kind of situation will soon be found. Together with law enforcement agencies, we are ready to save them before their future is destroyed,” she said.

TimesLIVE