🚨 GLOBAL CHAIN INTERNATIONAL OPERATION: OVER 1,000 ARRESTED IN GLOBAL CRACKDOWN ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

🌍 Operational Area: 59 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America.

📍 Coordination: International joint operation supported by Europol and international law enforcement partners.

International law enforcement cooperation has once again demonstrated its effectiveness in combating one of the most serious forms of transnational organised crime, human trafficking.

During Operation GLOBAL CHAIN, authorities from 59 countries joined forces to target criminal networks involved in sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced criminality, and forced begging. The coordinated operation was supported by Europol and international law enforcement partners, reinforcing global efforts to dismantle organised human trafficking networks.

📊 Key Operational Results

• 🚔 More than 1,000 arrests were made during the operation.

• 👥 More than 2,000 victims of human trafficking were identified, including 162 minors.

• ⚖️ Authorities launched 465 new criminal investigations.

• 🔎 Investigators identified 201 additional human trafficking suspects during ongoing operational activities.

The operation highlighted the continued exploitation of vulnerable individuals, including women, children, persons with disabilities, migrants, and people living in situations of extreme social vulnerability.

🌍 National Operational Highlights

🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Authorities identified 20 potential victims exploited for forced begging in areas of extreme vulnerability.

🇫🇷 France
An organised prostitution network was dismantled. Two suspects were arrested, five victims were safeguarded, and more than EUR 73,000 in cash was seized.

🇮🇸 Iceland
Five clients of a prostitution ring were arrested, while 16 possible victims of sexual exploitation were identified.

🇮🇪 Ireland
Authorities seized more than EUR 840,000 in cash and arrested one suspect involved in human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

🇲🇰 North Macedonia
Investigators uncovered a case involving a vulnerable woman with a disability who was allegedly forced into begging by a close family member.

🇵🇹 Portugal
Three suspects were arrested for illegally recruiting women to work in massage parlours before forcing them into prostitution at a nightclub. Eight victims were safeguarded, and the nightclub was seized.

🇺🇦 Ukraine
Two individuals were charged with exploiting 13 residents of a rehabilitation centre with disabilities for forced labour. In a separate investigation, four additional suspects were arrested, while 12 victims were rescued and provided with assistance.

🤝 Operation GLOBAL CHAIN once again demonstrated that combating human trafficking requires strong international cooperation, intelligence sharing, and coordinated cross-border law enforcement action. The operation represents another significant step in protecting victims, bringing offenders to justice, and disrupting transnational organised crime networks operating across multiple regions of the world.

🔗 Source

Europol. Over 1000 arrested in global anti-human trafficking operation – GLOBAL CHAIN.

https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/1024-arrests-in-global-operation-against-human-trafficking