In Interpol-supported operation
A global law enforcement operation has uncovered 1,194 potential victims of human trafficking and led to 158 arrests in a six-day international crackdown. Authorities in 43 countries, including several in the Middle East and North Africa, coordinated the efforts to disrupt networks engaged in sexual exploitation, forced begging and organised criminality.
Operation Global Chain, conducted between June 1-6, 2025, was led by Austria and Romania with support from Interpol, Europol and Frontex.
The effort focused on targeting high-value criminal groups and safeguarding vulnerable individuals, especially children. An additional 205 suspects have been identified, and 182 new investigations have been launched, according to an Interpol statement.
Victims were identified in 64 countries, with many originating from Romania, Ukraine, Colombia and China. Investigators reported that victims were often moved across continents.
Most of the adults were trafficked for sexual exploitation, while underage victims were commonly forced into begging or criminal acts. In several cases, minors had been exploited by members of their own families.
Authorities across Europe, Asia, and Latin America dismantled multiple trafficking operations.
In Brazil, police disrupted a ring that used fraudulent job advertisements to lure victims before trafficking them to Myanmar. In Montenegro, officers identified 13 victims, including six children exploited through forced begging by relatives.
Italian police raided several massage parlours, identifying 75 potential victims from Romania, China and Colombia. They seized firearms, narcotics and detained six suspects. Among those arrested were nationals from Tunisia, Colombia, and the Philippines.
Police in Thailand uncovered a prostitution ring involving underage victims, run through a social media platform. Twelve individuals were arrested, and two minors aged 14 and 17 were rescued.
Ukrainian investigators conducted an undercover operation exposing a scheme that sent women to Berlin for prostitution. One woman was arrested after police found digital evidence of her involvement in online sex work advertisements.
In Romania, police arrested nine people suspected of trafficking eight children aged between 7 and 15. The children had been forced to beg on the streets.
In Austria, police dismantled a family-run crime group operating across several EU countries. Seven suspects were detained, and eight women were removed from exploitative conditions. The group reportedly used the “lover-boy” method, in which victims are manipulated into exploitative relationships before being coerced into criminal activities.
As part of the broader operation, authorities also carried out significant seizures. Items recovered included over EUR 277,000 in cash, a tonne of cannabis, nearly 900 other narcotic units, 30 firearms, 15 explosive devices, 65 forged documents and five real estate properties used by trafficking groups.
The operation’s scope was broad. Officers checked nearly one million people and ID documents at transport hubs and high-risk locations. More than 181,000 vehicles, 5,700 flights, and vessels were inspected. Around 21,000 locations were searched globally.
While no specific operations were publicly disclosed in the Middle East or Africa, Interpol’s coordination role is believed to have facilitated information exchange across borders in these regions, where trafficking routes often intersect or originate.
The Gulf states, including the UAE, remain active partners in regional anti-trafficking efforts and regularly work with international agencies to combat labour exploitation and cross-border trafficking.
Interpol, Europol and Frontex established a coordination centre in Warsaw to support the operation. The centre hosted 33 officers from participating countries and organisations, allowing real-time exchange of intelligence. Interpol provided access to its global criminal databases and issued 14 new Notices and Diffusions related to trafficking cases.
Speaking after the operation, David Caunter, interim Director of Organised and Emerging Crime at Interpol, said the outcome underscored the reach of trafficking networks and the importance of cross-border cooperation. He described human trafficking as a crime that targets society’s most vulnerable and deprives people of freedom and dignity.
The crackdown took place under the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) and received funding from Interpol’s I-FORCE Project and the German Federal Foreign Office.
Participating countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo*, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
Law enforcement agencies are expected to pursue ongoing investigations in the weeks ahead, as authorities review the data collected and continue identifying perpetrators and victims. Interpol has encouraged member countries to follow up on evidence gathered during the operation and maintain vigilance at known trafficking hotspots.
Human trafficking remains a persistent issue worldwide, with criminal networks adapting quickly to evade law enforcement. Officials say strong intelligence-sharing mechanisms and coordinated operations like Global Chain are key to disrupting these transnational crimes.
Image: Operation Global Chain was conducted between June 1-6, 2025. Credit: Artem Mizyuk
