An Interpol operation dismantled a large-scale human trafficking network that targeted Colombians, and hundreds of others from all over the world. The process resulted in nearly 1,200 potential victims identified, as well as 158 suspected traffickers which have already been arrested.
This human trafficking network has been labelled by international authorities as Operation Global Chain. The coordinate crackdown on it took place between June 1 through 6 and involved 15,000 officers in 43 countries. It was led by Austrian and Romanian authorities with support from interpol, Europol and Frontex. Other participating countries were Colombia, Spain and Brazil.
Most of the nearly 1,200 alleged victims came from Colombia, Romania, Ukraine and China. Many of them were trafficked across international borders, which shows the global reach of human trafficking organizations. The operation primarily targeted the secual exploitation of adult women.
Interpol dismantles Human Trafficking network targeting Colombians
Some of the locations interpol raided included massage parlors, homes and street corners. The organization also screened nearly one million individuals. Authorities also seized narcotics, firearms, forged documents and more than €277,000 in cash from the operation.
In one key case, Brazilian police dismantled a ring that trafficked Colombian victims to Myanmar. In In Italy, 75 potential victims were discovered at massage parlors linked to sexual exploitation, and arrests included suspects from Colombia. Thai authorities broke up up an underage prostitution ring, while Ukrainian police stopped a plot to send women to Berlin for sexual exploitation.
“Human trafficking is a brutal and devastating crime that strips people of their dignity, freedom and humanity,” said Interpol’s David Caunter, interim director of Organized and Emerging Crime, urging continued international cooperation.
The operation initiated 182 new investigation, including 15 transnational cases, triggering 14 new interpol notices
Operation Global Chain was conducted under the multi-agency European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) project, which is financed in part by interpol’s I-FORCE initiative and Germany‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The extensive operation highlighted the urgency of stronger protections for trafficking victims and continued vigilance by Colombian authorities, who joined international partners to uncover and break the network targeting their citizens. Colombia’s national police and prosecutors are expected to pursue follow-up investigations into cases involving Colombian nationals.
The raids and arrests mark a significant disruption of transnational trafficking networks, but officials warn that ongoing resource-sharing and cooperation are essential to dismantle the remainder of these complex criminal enterprises.