Friday, February 08, 2013

Human trafficking raid successful!


2/4/13
“Confronting transnational organized crime is about taking action, building cooperation, encouraging coordination and being willing to share information across borders and regions. All actions against migrant smuggling should also protect the rights of the smuggled person, including the need to offer support to smuggled migrants.” -Yury Fedotov 

The Istanbul Hürriyet Daily News reported that they had received a letter thanking local Turkish police from Yury Fedotov, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime after their successful operation to break up an international human trafficking ring on January 29.  The raid was part of a carefully orchestrated operation that was planned over seven months and carried out in six European countries simultaneously.  The operation resulted in numerous arrests and the rescue of 20 hostages.  Fedotov praised the police for their cooperation and urged more raids across international borders to target ring leaders, their networks, and their money.

Planning and implementing joint efforts across international borders like this raid is a definite step in the right direction for international crimes like human trafficking.  Issues that are recognized and addressed by individual countries rather than addressing and aggressively them as global issues with international joint operations may not result in successful reduction or elimination of the issue.  The recognition by Mr. Fedotov is positive reinforcement that hopefully continues to encourage further cooperation among nations against this, and other global crimes.  By sending the letter to the local newspaper, the general public also was made aware of this significant operation and also served to raise awareness of the problem of human trafficking.

When I read this article I wanted to cheer out loud, since every rescue and every interruption in a trafficking ring potentially means saved lives! Momentum is building against this tragic global crime as awareness increases, which is the key step in eradicating a problem!


 SLYAW posted 11:27am 2/8/13

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