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📍 Amsterdam, July 11, 2025 — A coordinated international crackdown on human trafficking has led to the rescue of 1,194 victims and the arrest of 158 suspects across 44 countries, according to Europol. The week-long operation, dubbed Operation Global Chain, was spearheaded by Austria and Romania, with support from Europol, Frontex, and Interpol.
🛂 Scope and Impact
- Over 276,000 checks were conducted at airports, border crossings, and other locations
- Victims were found in agriculture, construction, domestic work, and forced criminal activities
- Authorities launched 182 new investigations, including 15 cross-border cases
- An additional 205 suspects were identified for follow-up action
🔍 Operational Highlights
- In Italy, police uncovered 75 victims during raids on massage parlours, seizing weapons and drugs
- In Romania, eight children trafficked for forced begging were rescued; nine suspects arrested
- In Thailand, a prostitution ring targeting minors via social media was dismantled
- In Ukraine, a woman was arrested for recruiting victims for sexual exploitation in Germany
🌍 Global Cooperation Nearly 15,000 officers participated in the operation, which involved law enforcement, border control, and labour inspectors from Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. The initiative was conducted under the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), with funding from INTERPOL’s I-FORCE Project and the German Federal Foreign Office.
🗣️ Statements from Leaders
- Catherine De Bolle, Europol Executive Director: “Close and effective cooperation between international law enforcement and border authorities remains essential in protecting those who are most vulnerable to exploitation.”
- Hans Leijtens, Frontex Executive Director: “Human trafficking destroys lives and crosses every border. That’s why we need to respond as one.”
- David Caunter, INTERPOL Director pro tempore: “Operation Global Chain demonstrates the global nature of these criminal schemes and the power of international cooperation in disrupting them.”
For full details, see the reports from Europol, Frontex, and Interpol.
Europol building The Hague the Netherlands Picture by OSeveno
