A significant blow to human trafficking networks was delivered by an international police operation, which led to more than 150 arrests and the identification of over 1,000 victims.
The six-day operation, codenamed “Global Chain,” was conducted in early June and mobilized nearly 15,000 police officers across 43 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, according to Interpol.
The operation targeted organized criminal networks involved in human trafficking, primarily of minors, for sexual exploitation, forced criminal activity and begging.
According to Europol, many of the victims are women recruited from abroad who end up in illegal massage parlors, where they are coerced into prostitution.
The operation resulted in:
- 158 arrests
- 205 additional suspects
- 1,194 potential trafficking victims
The operation was coordinated by authorities in Austria and Romania, with the focus of action centered on the European continent.
In Malta, police rescued three women from Colombia – two sisters and their aunt – who had traveled there with the promise of cleaning jobs from an Italian citizen. Upon arrival, their employer confiscated their passports under the pretext of obtaining work permits, which he then used to force them into prostitution.
In Italy, raids were conducted on massage parlors suspected of links to trafficking networks, resulting in the identification of 75 potential victims.
Overall, the victims came from 64 countries, with most cases involving citizens from Romania, Ukraine, Colombia and China. Romanian police arrested 9 people for trafficking 8 children – victims aged 7 to 15 years – for forced begging.
The operation also seized €277,669 in cash, 30 weapons, 65 fake documents and one ton of cannabis.
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