An international operation against human trafficking has led to the identification of 2,070 victims, the arrest of 1,024 suspects and the launch of 465 investigations.
The “Global Chain” operation, carried out from June 8 to 12, brought together law enforcement agencies from 59 countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe, including Albania.
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The operation, led by authorities in Austria and Romania and co-coordinated by INTERPOL, Europol, Frontex and Ameripol, resulted in 334 arrests for human trafficking offenses and 690 arrests for related crimes.
During the five-day operation, Albanian authorities also took part in coordinated control measures and information-sharing efforts, together with police and border structures from the other participating countries.
Police, border authorities and specialized anti-trafficking units carried out checks at border crossings, airports and other transport hubs, as well as in areas identified by investigations as trafficking hotspots.
Specifically, the operation focused on combating trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labor, forced criminality and forced begging, with special attention to children. Of the identified victims, 162 were minors, while most of the victims were women trafficked for sexual exploitation.
More than 40,000 police officers, border guards, labor inspectorates and customs authorities took part in the operation, checking more than 565,000 people, 360,000 identity documents, 140,000 vehicles, more than 20,000 locations and more than 6,000 flights and vessels.
Victims identified around the world
While the victims originated from 45 countries across multiple regions, most of them came from Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, as well as Moldova and Nepal.
Many of them were trafficked across borders after being deceived, coerced or targeted because of their vulnerable situations.
Brazil’s Federal Police dismantled a transnational network that trafficked victims to Cambodia, where they were forced to carry out online scams.
Authorities identified 406 victims (83 Brazilians and 323 foreign nationals) and issued two Red Notices and nine Blue Notices targeting wanted suspects and persons of interest.
In Argentina, the Federal Police carried out two raids, rescuing two Bolivian child victims of labor exploitation in a grocery store and arresting the traffickers. Investigations uncovered a larger coordinated exploitation network in multiple locations.
Authorities in Belgium arrested 17 suspects after dismantling a trafficking network that recruited underage girls through social media.
The suspects allegedly kept the victims captive, forcing them to work in prostitution networks across Belgium and France.
“Human trafficking remains one of the most profitable and widespread forms of organized crime worldwide, generating hundreds of billions of dollars in illicit revenue every year and causing severe and lasting harm to victims. Operation Global Chain reflects our collective commitment to addressing this threat through coordinated, multi-agency action.
The results show what can be achieved when countries work together to dismantle criminal networks and strengthen cooperation between regions. Human traffickers exploit vulnerabilities across borders; our response must be just as global, coordinated and relentless,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza.
