INTERPOL announced on the 11th that 158 people were arrested in June during a large-scale international operation against human trafficking led by police forces from over 40 countries.
The operation was conducted from June 1st to 6th, led by law enforcement agencies from Austria and Romania, with a focus on victims of sexual exploitation, forced crime, and forced begging.
In a statement, INTERPOL indicated that a total of 1,194 potential victims were identified, coming from 64 countries, mainly Romania, Ukraine, Colombia, and China. Some were trafficked across national and even intercontinental borders.
INTERPOL said that nearly 15,000 agents from authorities in 43 different countries participated in the operation.
The statement noted, “Most victims of sexual exploitation identified through this operation are adult women,” while underage victims “are more often exploited for forced begging or forced involvement in pickpocketing and other criminal activities.”
Among these young victims, many are exploited by their own family members.
During the operation, Brazil’s federal police dismantled a human trafficking network that recruited victims through fake job opportunities and then transported them to Myanmar for sexual exploitation.
In Italy, police raids on massage parlors uncovered 75 potential victims from Romania, China, and Colombia. Police also seized drugs and firearms.
Meanwhile, Thai police busted a child prostitution ring operating through “well-known social media platforms.”