In brief
Interpol’s coordinated effort, led with support from Europol and Frontex, targeted traffickers for sexual exploitation, forced labour, and criminality. Over 1,000 arrests were made in 59 nations, and 2,070 victims – mainly women – were identified. The operation exposed new trafficking routes, including Latin American victims trafficked to Europe. Authorities across the globe dismantled networks ranging from online scamming in Cambodia to child labor in grocery stores, highlighting the pervasive threat of modern slavery.
Global Operation Seizes Over 1,000 Traffickers
Interpol and partners, including Europol and Frontex, launched Operation Global Chain, operating across 59 countries from 8 to 12 June. The coordinated sweep led to more than 1,000 people—334 on human‑trafficking charges and 690 on related crimes—being taken into custody. Network dismantlements ranged from an online scamming ring in Cambodia to underage girls recruited via social media and forced into prostitution in Europe.
Authorities in Brazil uncovered 406 victims, including 83 Brazilians, in a trafficking scheme that transported them to Cambodia for online scam work. Argentina rescued two child labour victims from a grocery store, while Belgium arrested 17 suspects who ran a trafficking network exploiting socially‑media‑recruited victims throughout Belgium and France.
The operation identified 2,070 victims or potential victims, with a 90 – 95 percent women majority. A striking 10 percent of these were minors from the Americas trafficked for sexual exploitation in Europe. Victims were referred to national protection services, spurring 465 investigations and 201 additional suspect identifications.
Interpol Secretary Valdecy Urquiza warned that human trafficking remains “one of the most profitable and pervasive forms” of organised crime, generating billions in illicit revenue annually. He praised the joint effort for illustrating “what can be achieved when countries work together to disrupt criminal networks and strengthen cooperation across regions.”
Key participating countries include the UK, the US, France, Germany, Spain, Nigeria, Thailand and Vietnam. The operation demonstrated the power of international collaboration amid evolving trafficking routes and methods.
Map of Arrests and Victim Locations
Check the interactive map for real‑time updates and share your insights on social media using #GlobalChain.
