Cork arrest of man wanted in Germany linked to major international human trafficking crackdown
A man in his 50s — sought by German authorities on allegations including child kidnapping, illegal restraint, and hostage-taking — was arrested in Cork as part of a major international operation targeting human trafficking. Stock picture: Gareth Fuller/PA
A man wanted in Germany on allegations including child kidnapping, illegal restraint, and hostage-taking has been arrested in Cork City during a major international operation targeting human trafficking.
The man, aged in his 50s, was arrested at a massage parlour on a street off Oliver Plunkett St in Cork, and he is in custody pending extradition.
The arrest came as part of Operation Global Chain, an international law enforcement operation targeting human trafficking networks.
Gardaí raided 166 brothels and spoke to 269 sex workers of various nationalities during a week-long operation last month targeting human trafficking. A spokesperson estimated the 269 people contacted represented around a quarter of all those selling sex in Ireland during that week in June.
While no victims of human trafficking were detected, the sex workers were provided with information and advice should they wish to engage further with gardaí.
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The operation also involved checks on 17,452 people at airports and seaports by gardaí and immigration officers seeking to identify trafficking victims or those involved in trafficking activity.
Gardaí also prosecuted people for purchasing sexual services and seized over €25,000 from two suspects.
The Garda Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit and Human Trafficking Investigation and Co-ordination Unit also carried out a search in Limerick on June 30 as part of Operation Global Chain.
More than €840,000 in cash was seized, and a man in his 50s was arrested.
He was subsequently charged and appeared before Limerick District Court on July 2, where he was remanded on bail until October 1.
In preparation for this operation, gardaí participated in an online hackathon in May in a bid to generate high-quality intelligence to bolster the operation’s effectiveness. Thirty-two countries, including Ireland, took part in the project.
Some 1,024 arrests were made globally as part of the operation.
Conducted by 59 countries, including Ireland, it resulted in the detection of 2,070 potential victims (1,908 adults and 162 minors) and the arrest of 1,024 suspects, 334 of whom are suspected of human trafficking.
An additional 201 human trafficking suspects have been detected.
Europol found that the vast majority of victims are female and adult, with 64.2% trafficked for sexual exploitation (20.9% forced criminality, 11.3% forced labour, 1.5% forced begging, and 2.1% other forms).
The percentage of underage victims trafficked for sexual exploitation is even higher, at 86.4% (6.2% forced labour, 3% forced begging, about 0.6% forced criminal activity such as pickpocketing, and 3.8% other forms).
Victims are often exploited by family members, making safeguarding challenging, Europol noted.
Potential victims were reported from 45 different countries, with a majority from Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Nepal, and Moldova.
An Garda Síochána appeals to any individual who may be a victim of human trafficking or sexual exploitation to come forward and speak with them, either at a local Garda station, or to call the Garda confidential phone line on 1800 666111.
- Liz Dunphy, Southern Correspondent
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