more than 200 arrests and more than 1,400 victims exploited in 44 countries

A wide sweep. A global operation against organized human trafficking carried out 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 Thursday, June 1 .

Prostitution, forced labor, begging, delinquency, smuggling… The objective of this coordinated action, baptized “Global Chain”was to target criminal groups exploiting victims from Africa, Asia, South America, but also from Europe (Balkans and Ukraine) and place their prey under protection, according to the Interpol press release.

130,000 police officers mobilized

Led by Austria and Romania, the operation involved some 130,000 police, customs and border officers, with interventions at 25,400 different sites and checks targeting 1.6 million people at border posts, on roads, stations or airports (153,300 vehicles and 8,644 targeted flights), according to the same source.

The dragnet carried out from May 8 to 15 notably enabled the Bulgarian authorities to arrest a man suspected of terrorism and targeted since 2015 by an Interpol red notice. He was traveling with a false passport.

The Interpol press release also highlights six arrests in Serbia targeting suspects accused of forcing ten women into prostitution, eleven arrests in North Macedonia for a network of sexual exploitation of minors, seven arrests in Colombia, with 27 victims of sexual exploitation. In Romania, searches aimed at dismantling a network of forced labor led to four arrests, with eight victims identified. In Sweden, the operation helped rescue five minors forced to beg under the supervision of a 19-year-old young man.