Johannesburg - A man was arrested in Mentz village, near Mankweng in Polokwane on Monday for alleged human trafficking, Limpopo police said.
The man, 27, who was not from South Africa, allegedly brought 19 men, all foreign nationals, across the border into South Africa and locked them in a storeroom in Mentz village, spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said.
"The police swiftly went to the spaza shop store room, acting on a tip off, and managed to find the 19 foreigners, who were locked in," he said.
"The country of origin of the suspect together with that of the 19 [men] is still to be confirmed."
The 27-year-old was expected to appear in the Mankweng Magistrate's Court soon.
In April, at least seven people, including three South Africans, were killed in xenophobic violence that occurred in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.