Europe Arrests Hundreds of Suspected Human Traffickers

News

Authorities across Europe arrested nearly 400 suspected human traffickers in a series of joint actions that targeted child trafficking, Europol said on Wednesday.

Related Articles

Calls for Anti-Corruption in Ukraine’s Post-War Rebuild
As Ukraine looks toward recovery from the ongoing conflict, international partners and reform advocates call for embedding anti-corruption measures in post-war restoration efforts.
Mining Crimes Pose a Challenge for Law Enforcement, Experts Say
A recent report found that only one in three of environmental crime cases in the Amazon produced a parallel financial crime investigation from authorities.
Kyrgyz Elite Targeted as Japarov Allies Gain Key Assets
After the killing of crime boss Kamchy Kolbaev, Kyrgyz authorities have intensified their crackdown on prominent business figures suspected of financing organized crime. But is it justice—or something else?
Calls for Anti-Corruption in Ukraine’s Post-War Rebuild
As Ukraine looks toward recovery from the ongoing conflict, international partners and reform advocates call for embedding anti-corruption measures in post-war restoration efforts.
Mining Crimes Pose a Challenge for Law Enforcement, Experts Say
A recent report found that only one in three of environmental crime cases in the Amazon produced a parallel financial crime investigation from authorities.
Kyrgyz Elite Targeted as Japarov Allies Gain Key Assets
After the killing of crime boss Kamchy Kolbaev, Kyrgyz authorities have intensified their crackdown on prominent business figures suspected of financing organized crime. But is it justice—or something else?
November 5th, 2020
Human Trafficking Police

 The massive operation in early October brought together police, immigration and border control agencies, social assistance and child protection services, as well as labour inspectors from 12 countries.

 Officers checked more than a thousand locations and questioned almost 60,000 people to arrest 388 suspects and identify 249 victims, including 61 confirmed minors while the ages of 107 victims have not yet been determined.

 “Human traffickers target the most vulnerable groups and children are among them. Child trafficking remains, however, underreported,” Europol said. 

 In the EU, children are most commonly trafficked by relatives, while children from non-EU countries are brought in by people smugglers. 

 “These criminal organisations, connected through large clan networks, operate in several countries and move the children on a rotational basis,” Europol said. “They abuse them in sexual exploitation, forced begging and forced criminality schemes.”

Related Reporting