Between June 3 and 9, 39 countries from across the globe participated in the EMPACT joint action days against trafficking in human beings. Led by Austria and co-led by Romania, Europol, Frontex and INTERPOL, the massive operation codenamed ‘GLOBAL CHAIN’ resulted in the arrest of 219 persons and the identification of over 1374 victims, including 153 children. Aimed at disrupting high-risk criminal networks, the action week focused on cases of sexual exploitation, forced criminality and forced begging.

Building on the operation’s successful previous iterations, the proven multidisciplinary approach involved Europol, Frontex and INTERPOL along with police forces and border guards from several continents. This year, one aim was to identify and disrupt the most-threatening criminal networks active in the EU, such as mafia-type, ethnicity- and family-based organisations and other structured networks engaged in trafficking of human beings. Within the criminal phenomena of sexual exploitation, forced begging and forced criminality, law enforcement put a special emphasis on targeting cases involving children as victims.

Similar to actions carried out in the years prior, this large-scale and jointly-executed action aimed to encourage authorities to conduct targeted activities within their respective countries and collectively with each other for a week, but also to draw attention to this despicable crime. The results of these joint action days reached not only the authorities, but also many other external stakeholders who may have a part to play in reducing the number of victims of human trafficking.

Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Deputy Executive Director of Europol, Operations Directorate, said:

Close and efficient cooperation between law enforcement and border protection authorities on an international level is key in targeting those who exploit the most vulnerable among us. The impressive results of this year’s EMPACT joint action days show that the despicable crime of human trafficking is best fought together. For this, I express my gratitude to all countries and partners that once again joined forces with Europol in this global endeavour to take down these criminal networks.

Lars Gerdes, Deputy Executive Director for Operations at Frontex, said:

Human trafficking is an abhorrent crime that preys on the vulnerable and undermines our shared values of human dignity and freedom. Detecting these crimes is incredibly challenging due to the frequent absence of victim testimonies, leading to a significant number of unreported cases. This is why our international cooperation with Europol, Interpol, Austria and over 39 countries worldwide is so crucial.

Richard Chambers, INTERPOL Director, Organized and Emerging Crime, said:

Operations such as GLOBAL CHAIN demonstrate that no country or continent is immune to trafficking and exploitation. Whether committed by family members or highly-organised crime groups, the impact on victims is devastating. As a global law enforcement community, we are committed to sharing the vital intelligence needed to bring all perpetrators to justice.

276 new investigations launched

Overall results of the EMPACT joint action days:

362 suspects identified;

219 perpetrators arrested;

1 374 (1 221 adults, 153 children) victims identified and assisted;

2 074 criminal assets such as cash or devices seized;

363 fraudulent documents detected;

over 276 new investigations initiated.

In addition to the fight against child trafficking and the most-threatening criminal networks, this international law enforcement effort saw several targeted focal points against the trafficking of human beings across the world. This included actions in Latin America, Asia, Africa as well as Eastern Partnership countries and Ukraine.

During inspections conducted across the globe, officers would systematically look for signs of trafficking as well as forged documents, then arrest perpetrators and safeguard victims immediately. The inspections also resulted in the launch of several new investigations. In order to cross-check data and allow for the exchange of information between the participants, a coordination centre was established in the Frontex headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. Along with experts from each country, Frontex, Europol and INTERPOL personnel helped coordinate the large-scale action week, which was supported by the EU4FAST project.

Successful operations executed across the globe

The following examples provide insight into the diverse nature of the national operations against human trafficking that were successfully conducted in the context of the EMPACT action week.

In a particularly gruesome case, officers of the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg Police Department (Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg Vármegyei Rendőr-főkapitányság) arrested a Hungarian couple for forcing six of their own children into sex as well as begging on the streets in their village. The underage children were physically, mentally and sexually abused by their own parents, with their own father assaulting them with sticks, belts and his bare hands. Officers found the children neglected, underfed and in an overall bad health condition. Tying them up in a room in the household, the parents offered their children to other persons in the neighbourhood to have sex against payment. Judicial, medical and psychological experts have been involved in confirming the sexual abuse and taking testimony of the traumatised children, who since have been safeguarded and placed under foster care.

Officers from the Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation THB Unit (Nemzeti Nyomozó Iroda Emberkereskedelem Elleni Osztály) were deployed to Austria to carry out joint police checks with members of the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service and Provincial Criminal Police Departments (Bundeskriminalamt; Landeskriminalämter Wien und Niederösterreich). The teams conducted targeted checks in red-light establishments, focusing on Hungarian sex workers. Europol facilitated and financially supported this staff exchange.

Officers of the Galati Brigade for Countering Organized Crime of the Romanian Police (Poliţiei Române – Brigada de Combatere a Criminalitatii Organizate Galati) arrested one suspect for recruiting underage victims from disadvantaged backgrounds, forcing them into begging and sexual exploitation. The collected revenue was withheld by the trafficker, who used physical violence to control his victims. In a raid conducted during the action week, officers collected further evidence and questioned suspects and victims. In one of the searched locations, law enforcement officials also found and seized various narcotics.

In an effort to raise awareness about this crime area, the Irish National Police (An Garda Síochána) spoke to thousands of passengers as they disembarked their trains in Dublin. Garda members were actively looking for human trafficking indicators and informing the public about the crime area. While no victims were identified, the initiative generated great engagement from the public.

The National Police of Ukraine (Національна поліція України) dismantled an organised criminal group targeting vulnerable persons. Three suspects have been identified for controlling and coercing twelve victims and forcing them to beg. In another case, officers arrested a person who forced a disabled person into marriage with a man so he could achieve a deferral of his mobilisation. The victim has been safeguarded by Ukrainian authorities.

Vietnamese authorities uncovered a human trafficking scheme involving a Chinese interpreter working for a company in Laos. The suspect lured 14 Vietnamese individuals with promises of high-income overseas jobs, only to force them into creating fraudulent online accounts for financial scams. Victims worked 12-hour workdays, extended to 14 hours if they failed to recruit others, and had their documents confiscated. Families were extorted up to USD 10 000 to secure their return to Vietnam. This case further highlights the trend of human trafficking for forced online fraud, first detected by INTERPOL in Southeast Asia during Operation Storm Makers in March 2022, and later in other regions, leading to the publication of an INTERPOL Orange Notice.

Participating countries:

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Kosovo*, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vietnam

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.