The second pan-European operation to combat the trafficking of human beings from West Africa was carried out by law enforcement authorities in fourteen European countries including Ireland on Wednesday the 11th of June 2014 and lasted till early this morning Thursday, 12th June 2014.
The operation, which builds on the experience of the first European Action Day carried out in October 2012, was aimed at targeting Nigerian criminal networks operating across Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The operation was led by Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and coordinated by Europol and Europol’s Liaison Officers from the participating Member States and third countries, acting together from Europol’s Operations Room in The Hague, the Netherlands. As part of the operation, places of prostitution were checked in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Czech Republic, Norway, and Switzerland. Checks were conducted in Ireland at airports and ports. During the course of searches in Ireland evidence of human trafficking including evidence of the movement of money believed to be the proceeds of crime was found.
In Ireland two human trafficking Organised Crime Group’s were targeted. One premises was searched under warrant in West Dublin. Two persons of Nigerian origin were arrested for human trafficking related offences. These arrests were made in connection with the suspected human trafficking of seven Nigerian persons into Ireland, all of whom are considered victims of human trafficking.
Liaison officers from Ireland based at Europol headquarters in The Hague coordinated the Irish response with checks of suspects being carried out across the European member states.
In addition, two Member States – Italy and France – have supported the participating countries with cross-checks against their national databases, Italy also deployed a Europol Liaison Officer in the Operation Room. With regard to one of the OCGs targeted in Ireland, links were found in 4 other member states as a result of the coordinated day of action. The activity of the United Kingdom was focussed upon transit routes, principally into the UK and outbound to other European destinations, and supporting the other participating countries with live time intelligence support. In some countries – Netherlands and Norway - the assistance of the national Financial Intelligence Units (FIU) was also provided. The objective was to identify people trafficked from Western Africa, and increase the intelligence picture on the human traffickers involved. The results submitted by the countries involved are being analysed by Europol to help identify key figures in international human trafficking networks in Europe and to establish crime patterns as well as possible criminal organisational structures.
Speaking at the Garda National Immigration Bureau today Detective Chief Superintendent John O Driscoll said
"According to provisional figures, 7 potential victims of human trafficking from West African countries, mainly women, exploited by the 2 OCGs targeted, have been identified in Ireland. A further 31 persons have been checked in Ireland as a response to requests from fellow member states across Europe. As a result of the day of action, new investigations have been launched in several participating countries which are supported by Europol.”
For years, European police forces, including An Garda Siochana’s Human Trafficking Investigation and Coordination Unit (HTICU) have been closely monitoring the trafficking of women from West Africa to the EU for sexual exploitation. Investigations show the existence of organised crime groups (OCGs) from West Africa highly networked which embrace exploiters, facilitators, trafficked women handed over to the forced prostitution market, money launderers, and persons involved in the forging of travel documents and Visas. After being recruited in their home countries, the victims are trafficked to Europe and sent to work in brothels or in the street with forged identity documents. The continuous shifting of exploited victims within the EU is commonly noticed. Traffickers use voodoo rituals, which are commonly practised in West Africa, as an effective mean of exerting pressure on their victims, to intimidate them, and ensure obedience; this practice enables the perpetrators to make the exploited women pay off their debts which can be up to €60,000 incurred as a result of their trafficking to Europe. In this context, increased police checks continue to play an important role in the identification of victims of human trafficking and the associated shedding of light on previously undetected crime.
