A global operation against organized human trafficking led jointly by Interpol, Frontex and Europol led to the arrest in May of 212 suspects and the identification of 1,426 victims exploited in 44 countries, including minors, Interpol announced on Thursday.
Prostitution, forced labor, begging, delinquency, smuggling …. the objective of this coordinated action called Global Chain was to target criminal groups exploiting victims from Africa, Asia, South America, but also Europe (Balkans and Ukraine) and place their prey under protection, according to the Interpol press release.
Nearly 130,000 agents from the police, customs and border services were mobilized for the occasion. English, Moroccans, Nigerians, Icelanders… 44 countries in total participated in Operation Global Chain. The initiative comes from Austria and Romania, gateways to the Balkans where human trafficking networks are rampant.
The authorities’ net was cast from May 8 to 15, on more than 25,000 sites around the world with checks targeting 1.6 million people at border posts, on the roads, in stations or airports (153 300 vehicles and 8,644 targeted thefts).
In Bulgaria, for example, it has made it possible to arrest a suspected terrorist wanted since 2015 by Interpol. In Sweden, five young boys forced to beg by a 19-year-old suspect were also rescued. In Romania, searches aimed at dismantling a network of forced labor led to four arrests, with eight victims identified. Or in Colombia, where seven individuals accused of sexually exploiting 27 victims were arrested.
To support these officers who acted in the field, the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France, acted as a parallel rear base, to relay all the information gathered in real time, operational support 24 hours a day, 7 days a 7.
But the work is far from over. Beyond the arrests and the victims to protect, the authorities inherit 200 new investigations to conduct, and now have 138 new suspects in their sights.