Over 1,000 Human Traffickers Arrested in 59 Countries During Global Interpol Operation
More than 1,000 people have been arrested in a large-scale global operation targeting human trafficking networks across 59 countries. The operation, dubbed ‘Global Chain’ and coordinated by Interpol, targeted the trafficking of persons for sexual exploitation, forced labour, criminality, and forced begging.
During the operation, which took place between 8 and 12 June, authorities identified a total of 2,070 victims or potential victims, the majority of whom were women. Of the total arrests made, 334 were directly linked to human trafficking cases, while 690 others were connected to related crimes.
The operation involved 40,000 officers across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Several criminal networks were dismantled, including one that trafficked victims to Cambodia to be forced into online scamming, and a network in Europe that recruited underage girls through social media for sexual exploitation.
Interpol, which coordinated the effort alongside the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), stated that the findings revealed evolving trafficking routes and methods. A new trend showed victims from Latin America being trafficked for forced labour in Europe. Additionally, around 10 per cent of the identified victims were minors from the Americas subjected to sexual exploitation.
Brazil’s Federal Police identified 406 victims of a transnational network destined for Cambodia. In Argentina, police rescued two Bolivian children forced to work in a grocery store. Belgian authorities arrested 17 suspects after dismantling a network that confined victims and forced them into prostitution rings in Belgium and France.
Interpol data indicates that the majority of victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation. Meanwhile, 20 per cent of victims were forced into criminal activities, 11 per cent into forced labour, and 2 per cent into forced begging. The victims have since been referred to national protection services, and 465 new investigations have been launched.
Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza stated that human trafficking remains one of the most profitable and widespread forms of organised crime, generating billions in illicit revenue annually. ‘This crime causes severe and lasting harm to its victims,’ Urquiza said, adding that the results of the operation ‘demonstrate what can be achieved when countries work together to disrupt criminal networks and strengthen cross-regional cooperation.’