Nearly 1,200 potential victims were identified as part of a large international operation to the release of human trafficking in around forty different countries, Interpol announced on Friday, July 11.
A hundred and fifty-eight people were arrested in June in a vast international operation against trafficking in human beings led by the police of around forty countries, Interpol announced on Friday, July 11.
The operation, between June 1 and 6, led by the Austrian and Romanian police, focused on victims of sexual exploitation, forced crime and forced begging.
In total, 1,194 potential victims were identified, from 64 countries, mainly from Romania, Ukraine, Colombia and China, sometimes transported beyond national, even continental borders, ensures in an Interpol press release, which participated in coordinating the file with Europol and Frontex.
“The operation involved nearly 15,000” authorities “agents from 43 different countries”, continues the international organization.
“The majority of victims of sexual exploitation identified thanks to the operation were adult women”, while minor victims “were more frequently exploited for forced begging or forced criminal activities such as shooting,” said the press release. Many of these young victims were exploited by family members.
Dismantled milking and prostitution networks
As part of this operation, the Brazilian federal police dismantled a trafficking network which recruited victims via false job offers, then transported them to Burma for sexual exploitation.
In Italy, police identified 75 potential victims from Romania, China and Colombia during searches in massage fairs. Drugs are firearms have also been seized.
For their part, Thai police dismantled a prostitution network involving minors, operating via “a well -known social media platform”.