Libertarian II 3,222 Rescued in Global Human Trafficking Raid
The operation, called “Libertarian II”, took place between September 29 and October 4 and was the largest-ever operation against human trafficking and people smuggling by the global law enforcement organization.
People rescued included minors forced to work on farms in Argentina, migrants in nightclubs in North Macedonia, and people coerced into begging in Iraq or serving in private households across the Middle East, Interpol said.
Raids led to the rescue of “3,222 potential victims of human trafficking and identified 17,793 irregular migrants”, it said.
In addition to police raids, authorities also reinforced strategic border points, monitored nearly 24,000 flights and deployed officers to known trafficking and smuggling hotspots, said the organisation, which is based in Lyon, France.
Nearly eight million checks were carried out against Interpol’s Databases
Nearly eight million checks were carried out against Interpol’s databases, and a total of 2,517 arrests were made during the week, of which 850 were specifically on human trafficking or migrant smuggling charges, according to the organization’s preliminary figures.
“In their relentless pursuit of profit, organized crime groups continue to exploit men, women, and children — often multiple times over,” said Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock.
“The results of this operation highlight the vast scale of the challenge facing law enforcement, underscoring that only coordinated action can counteract these threats,” he said.
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