Over 200 human traffickers arrested in international operation coordinated by Austria, Romania
At the beginning of June, Austria and Romania coordinated an international operation against human trafficking that led to the arrest of over 200 traffickers. Nearly 1,380 victims were identified, including 150 children.
The joint operation against human trafficking, named Global Chain, involved police forces from 39 countries worldwide, namely Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
The operation was coordinated by Austria, with the assistance of Romania, Europol, Interpol, and Frontex, between June 3 and 9, with the goal of dismantling human trafficking networks. The participating states focused on cases of sexual exploitation, criminal activities, and begging.
The final report showed that 219 people were arrested, and 1,374 victims were identified, including 153 children.
The operation targeted regions within the EU, Latin America, Asia, and Africa, as well as countries within the Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine).
“Officers of the Galati Brigade for Countering Organized Crime of the Romanian Police arrested one suspect for recruiting underage victims from disadvantaged backgrounds, forcing them into begging and sexual exploitation. The collected revenue was withheld by the trafficker, who used physical violence to control his victims. In a raid conducted during the action week, officers collected further evidence and questioned suspects and victims. In one of the searched locations, law enforcement officials also found and seized various narcotics,” the press release mentioned.
Europol stated that one of the main objectives of the operation was to identify and disrupt the most dangerous criminal networks active in the EU involved in human trafficking. Special emphasis was placed on uncovering cases where children were among the victims.
(Photo source: Europol.europa.eu)
