Worldwide Operation Combats Human Trafficking

Nearly a third of the world’s countries were involved in a June crackdown on human trafficking known as Operation Global Chain led by Interpol, Frontex, and Europol. The operation yielded 1,024 arrests, identified 2,070 victims, opened 465 new investigations, and documented 80 cases of fraud.

Europol reported pre-operation online work in May that generated “actionable, high-quality intelligence and target packages to increase the upcoming operation’s effectiveness.” From 8 to 12 June, authorities surged presence and screening to identified trafficking hotspots and transport hubs. Almost every European and South American country was joined by the United States, Thailand, Vietnam, and several Central American and Caribbean countries. The operation involved more than 40,000 officers.

“Operation Global Chain reflects our shared commitment to tackle this threat through coordinated, multi-agency action,” Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said in a statement. “The results demonstrate what can be achieved when countries work together to disrupt criminal networks and strengthen cooperation across regions. Human traffickers exploit vulnerabilities across borders; our response must be equally global, coordinated and relentless.”

Nearly two-thirds of the victims were being trafficked for sexual exploitation, and 86 percent of those were underage. Forced criminality (21 percent) and forced labor (11 percent) were the next largest victim segments. Those being trafficked were from 45 different countries, but the majority came from Colombia, Argentia, Venezuela, Nepal, and Moldova. A burgeoning pipeline of sex trafficking from South America to Europe was exposed.

Interpol noted that the operation showed how trafficking is evolving, with “criminal networks [adapting] to shifting economic opportunities, migration dynamics, and geopolitical developments.”

In one outcome, for example, Colombia launched a prevention campaign aimed at helping its citizens identify potentially fraudulent job offers from abroad.

Allied Universal has been a leader in encouraging the corporate sector to do its part in combatting human trafficking.

“Solutions to limiting the impact of workplace violence in our workplaces and communities are similar to those facing us with the growing issue of human trafficking,” Brent O’Bryan, senior vice president of global training and talent development at Allied, wrote in a blog post. “Organizations can take proactive measures to provide guidance for employees to understand the problem, offer clarity on how to report concerns, and encourage a willingness to act when concerns are recognized.”

An on-demand webinar from Allied Universal featuring O’Bryan and Truckers Against Trafficking’s Annie Sovcik explains how companies can train their workforces on warning signs of trafficking.

David Vialpando, MBA, CPP, CFE, CFCS, wrote an article for Security Management that explains how the hospitality sector can support law enforcement in combating human trafficking. He listed the following visual indicators of trafficking:

• Trafficker handles the victim’s identification, travel documents, and money;
• Victim defers to another person when asked a question;
• Victim is unable to clarify where they live or their address;
• Victim is unable to state what city they are in;
• Victim has no sense of time;
• Stories provided by victims are rife with inconsistencies;
• Young girls in the company of an older “boyfriend;”
• Young women wearing dresses inappropriate for their age or inexpensive clothing and expensive-appearing jewelry and in possession of electronic devices;
• Victim avoids eye contact and interaction with others;
• Victims who appear submissive, and who exhibit fear, depression, tension, paranoia, or anxiety, or;
• Group of males or females exhibiting identical tattoos in similar locations on their bodies. This may be a sign of branding by the trafficker.

In another Security Management article, Lauren Shapiro noted that multitenant spaces, such as retail malls, provide the potential for those trained to see it to recognize potential victims of human trafficking.

“Throughout the workday, private security personnel observe people as they shop, eat, chat, work, or rest on benches,” she wrote. “Surveillance skills used to watch and evaluate customers and employees can be instrumental in recognizing human trafficking victims.”

She recommended getting authorities trained in trafficking intervention involved rather than having staff confront individuals directly. “It is far less dangerous for the victims if they are identified without attempts to speak to them in the presence of their controllers. In most cases, victims who are confronted about their trafficking situation will not cooperate or will simply run away. Additionally, intensive training would be required for security personnel to effectively interview and investigate trafficking controllers and victims.”

For the ASIS blog, Heidi Chance, whose career included 13 years in the Phoenix Police Department’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit, said it is important to know what to do if security personnel see signs of trafficking: “There is the National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 or text ‘INFO’ to 233733. But the point I always try to make is that the ‘hotline’ is based out of D.C. so if it is a crime in progress ALWAYS default to calling local law enforcement or 911.”