FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Europol organization announced today that it has finalized an international operation in 43 countries, including Albania, to destroy a vast network of human trafficking, prostitution and begging, where 3 of the victims were rescued in Albania.
According to Europol, 158 human traffickers were arrested and 1,194 victims rescued in a global operation. The crackdown, codenamed “Global Chain,” focused on trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced criminality, and forced begging.
"A major operation against human trafficking has led to the rescue of 1,194 potential victims and the arrest of 158 suspects. As part of ongoing investigations, 205 additional human trafficking suspects have been identified. The global crackdown focused on trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, coercion to commit criminal offences and forced begging, with a particular focus on child victims," Europol announced.
There was also action in our country, where a case of trafficking for prostitution of Chinese women who were being exploited in a massage center was cracked down on.
"Three sexually exploited Chinese women were rescued in Albania. They had been recruited in Dubai by a Chinese network and transferred to Albania to work in a massage center. One trafficker was arrested and another was declared wanted," the organization highlights.
This year’s edition of the operation, codenamed “Global Chain”, took place from 1 to 6 June 2025 and was led by law enforcement agencies in Austria and Romania, with coordination and support from Europol, Frontex and INTERPOL. The aim was to uncover and target organised crime groups and “high-value targets” – responsible for the majority of trafficking cases – as well as rescue victims, seize criminal assets and launch follow-up investigations.
"The operation involved almost 15,000 officers from 43 different countries and was carried out in cooperation with police, border guards, labor inspectors, as well as tax and customs authorities. The potential victims were from 64 countries, mainly from Romania, Ukraine, Colombia, China and Hungary. Many of them were trafficked across borders and even continents, which shows the global nature of trafficking. Investigations show that the vast majority of victims of sexual exploitation are women and adults, while the exploitation of minors is usually linked to forced begging and criminal activities such as pickpocketing. In many cases, victims are exploited by family members, which makes it more difficult to protect them," Europol's announcement continues.
Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Deputy Executive Director of Europol, Directorate of Operations, said:
“Close and effective cooperation between police and border authorities remains essential to protect those most at risk of exploitation. The results of this ‘Global Chain’ operation are not just statistics – every individual rescued from exploitation is an invaluable success. Human trafficking can only be fought together, and I am grateful to all the countries and partners who joined Europol to help victims and seek justice for them.”
Key points of the operation:
Austria: Police arrested 7 suspected traffickers (1 Hungarian and 6 Romanians) and rescued 8 women. A family criminal group from Romania operating in several EU countries was identified. Women were recruited using the “lover-boy” method and forced into prostitution, defrauding clients for money or stealing from them.
Romania: Police conducted house searches, summoned 11 witnesses, and arrested 9 people for trafficking 8 children (ages 7–15) for forced begging.
Italy: Checks on massage parlors; 75 potential victims from Romania, China and Colombia identified. Drugs and weapons seized. One Italian arrested for trafficking and 5 others for other criminal offenses.
Malta: A trafficker was arrested and 3 women from Colombia (2 sisters and their aunt) were rescued, who were offered jobs as cleaners by an Italian citizen, but upon arriving in Malta, their passports were taken away and they were forced into prostitution.
Albania: Three Chinese women who were sexually exploited were rescued. They had been recruited in Dubai by a Chinese network and transferred to Albania to work in a massage center. One trafficker was arrested and another was wanted.
Greece & Montenegro: People were arrested who were exploiting their children or minor relatives for begging, some as young as 2–3 years old.
Hungary: A 15-year-old girl was forced into prostitution by her parents as the family's sole source of income. Her father was arrested and she was sent to a child welfare institution.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: A minor girl was forced by her parents to marry, without her consent, for financial gain. She was rescued and placed in a safe haven. In another case, 13 women (9 Chinese and 4 Brazilian) were victims of sexual exploitation; 3 traffickers (2 Bosnians and 1 Chinese) were arrested.
Ukraine: An undercover operation was conducted that uncovered a network recruiting women for exploitation in Berlin. A woman was arrested and online profiles for sexual services in Germany were discovered.
Brazil: Federal police dismantled a network that recruited victims with false promises of employment and trafficked them to Myanmar for sexual exploitation. One victim was rescued through an INTERPOL tip.
Thailand: Police dismantled a child prostitution ring on a popular social media platform. 12 people were arrested (7 for trafficking), and 2 victims (14 and 17 years old) were rescued.
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