Hawks arrest 30-year-old woman over Rondebosch brothel trafficking case

A 30-year-old woman has been arrested over her alleged involvement in trafficking in persons, the Hawks say, after a search at a brothel in Rondebosch in August 2026.

The Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation said the arrest was carried out on 12 October 2026, after a warrant was issued against her. Teams based in George and Bellville made the arrest.

The search that started the case was conducted by the Hawks together with officials from the Department of Home Affairs. A 21-year-old woman was found in the flat and working as a sex worker, and the investigation established that she was a victim of trafficking. The Hawks say she was rescued by the team.

The person alleged to have trafficked her was identified and arrested. Philip Udogwu appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates Court on 21 September 2026 and remains in custody awaiting his formal bail application.

Investigators also established that Udogwu had an accomplice who, they say, worked with him to groom the victim into sex work. The woman arrested on 12 October 2026 is that suspect, and she will make her first appearance in the Wynberg Magistrates Court on 13 October 2026.

The account is carried in a South African Police Service media statement issued through the Hawks and attributed to Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi. It is a summary of the investigation rather than the court record itself, so the allegations against both accused remain untested in court. The source statement is available at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=71782.