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Friday, March 29, 2024

Hundreds Rescued in Human Trafficking Crackdown in West Africa

Almost 220 victims of human trafficking have been rescued by police in Benin and Nigeria in an operation coordinated by INTERPOL. A number of victims were also rescued from premises where they were forced into prostitution.

With a number of investigations ongoing, police arrested 47 people and seized vehicles, cash, mobile phones and computers.

Evidence in the region shows that victims of trafficking are recruited and trafficked using deception and coercion, and held in bondage in various labour intensive activities. Many of the 157 rescued minors were moved around as ‘merchandise’ themselves across the border, and made to work in markets all day, peddling goods, fetching water, cooking, carrying heavy loads, or working as housemaids. Some were the victims of sexual exploitation.

The children were aged between 11 and 16, with the youngest rescued at the land border between Benin and Nigeria. There police found a boy who had been forced to carry clandestinely between the two countries heavy goods such as bags of rice weighing up to 40 kg.

All the victims originated from Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Togo. Most of the minors endured beatings and psychological abuse, including death threats and warnings they would never see their parents again.

To ensure they received the necessary care following their rescue, social services and NGOs undertook post-operation interviews and provided support services to the victims.

In Benin, the minors were transferred to shelters, returned to their parents or taken into care by national social affairs authorities and NGOs.

In Nigeria, the minors were taken in charge by NAPTIP, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons which works with NGOs.

Building sustainable law enforcement capacity to investigate and handle cases of human trafficking and migrant smuggling is at the heart of INTERPOL’s strategy on vulnerable communities. To this end, Operation Epervier II was preceded in Benin and Nigeria by specialized INTERPOL training exercises to help officers enhance their investigative techniques as well as victim and offender interview skills.

INTERPOL’s secure communications system I-24/7 was also deployed to operational hotspots, providing police with real-time access to criminal global databases containing millions of records, including on stolen and lost travel documents and biometrics.

With the G7 Interior Ministers meeting in Paris earlier this month calling for increased cooperation with INTERPOL against crimes such as human trafficking, the operation was undertaken under the framework of the INTERPOL Global Task Force on Human Trafficking. It was funded by the INTERPOL Foundation for a Safer World.

Read more at INTERPOL

Hundreds Rescued in Human Trafficking Crackdown in West Africa Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Today
The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.
Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Todayhttp://www.hstoday.us
The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.

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