Rosslare people trafficking exposed in BBC sting operation
Babies and women from Bulgaria, in particular, have been trafficked through the port by a self-confessed, experienced smuggler who goes by the name of Harry.
He was the focus of a special investigation by the BBC, which discovered that Harry was part of a criminal gangs based in the Bulgarian coastal resort of Varna.
Harry bragged that he routinely smuggled women, destined to end up working in the sex trade in Europe’s biggest cities, through ports such as Rosslare and Cherbourg.
The BBC set up a sting operation to expose his trade by pretending that a childless couple in Britain, who were unable to adopt legally, were looking for a baby.
He met the BBC team in an upmarket hotel where he told them he would be able to provide a child for between €50,000 and €60,000.
The deal included getting the child out of Bulgaria with false adoption papers.
Harry said he would smuggle the child overland as far as he could to avoid checks and added that his favourite routes across the water to Britain were via France and Ireland.
“I take Cherbourg and Rosslare ... there are many ways,” he said.
The following morning he was able to put a number of infants on display for the undercover team. Then, chillingly, he said that children were part of his portfolio. During a secret recording, he said he had successfully smuggled them into two countries — Norway and Germany. Harry also boasted about a previous conviction for people-trafficking in Germany some years ago.
Fine Gael TD Simon Coveney last night said the undercover report was further evidence that Ireland is regarded as a soft touch for people-smuggling by international criminal networks.
“In the same way that the recent haul of cocaine has shown that Ireland is under-resourced and ill-prepared to combat drug smuggling, this BBC investigation highlights the fact that we are also seen as a soft touch by criminals involved in people-smuggling and people-trafficking,” he said.
Mr Coveney stated that human trafficking is a growing problem in the EU, with more than 100,000 people trafficked across borders each year.
“This crime often involves serious exploitation, physical or sexual abuse, and in effect is a modern-day form of slavery. It is about time Ireland responded by updating legislation and by increasing the resources available to both Customs and the gardaí,” he said.
