Cyprus: Cyprus Police participated in a global operation against human trafficking named "GLOBAL CHAIN" during which 1,024 arrests were made in five continents.
According to Cyprus News Agency, within the framework of the operation, the Office for Combating Human Trafficking carried out a total of 17 operations across the islands in various premises, including pubs and apartments. During these raids, 57 women were identified. The Police clarified in the press release that following an individual assessment, no indications were found that they were victims of human trafficking. However, one woman was found to be residing illegally in the Republic of Cyprus.
The global operation, conducted from June 8 to June 12, aimed at combating trafficking in persons for purposes such as sexual exploitation, forced criminal activity, and begging. Europol supported the operation, which saw participation from the competent authorities of 59 countries. As part of the operation, 2,070 potential victims were identified, and 1,024 suspects were arrested. Of these, 334 are alleged to be involved in trafficking cases, while an additional 201 suspects were identified for offences related to human trafficking.
The operation placed particular emphasis on the protection of minor victims and was implemented within the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats (EMPACT). Austria coordinated the operational action with Romania as co-leader. During the operation, authorities initiated 465 new criminal investigations and identified 80 cases of document forgery.
The investigation results revealed that the majority of the victims are adult women, with 64.2% trafficked for sexual exploitation, 20.9% for forced criminal activity, 11.3% for forced labor, 1.5% for begging, and 2.1% for other forms of exploitation. Alarmingly, 86.4% of child victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation.
The operation involved more than 40,000 law enforcement officers from 59 countries, including police, border guards, labor inspectors, tax, and customs officials. Potential victims were identified from 45 different countries, predominantly from Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Nepal, and Moldova, highlighting the international scope of human trafficking networks.
During the operation, authorities conducted checks on 565,470 persons, 360,317 travel and other identification documents, 140,737 vehicles, 20,342 premises and other locations, and 6,133 flights and water vehicles.