According to the Portuguese Judiciary Police, who led the ‘Global Chain’ operation in Portugal, one victim of human trafficking for sexual exploitation was identified, and nine individuals were arrested: four for document forgery, four for fraud, and one for illegal stay and resistance to authority.
Internationally, the operation, as disclosed by Interpol, identified 1,194 potential victims and led to the arrest of 158 suspects across 43 countries.
The ‘Global Chain’ operation took place from June 1 to 6 and involved nearly 15,000 officers from various nations.
Interpol, headquartered in Lyon, France, stated that most of the nearly 1,200 potential victims came from Romania, Ukraine, Colombia, and China.
The campaign, coordinated by Austria and Romania with support from Interpol and European agencies Europol and Frontex, focused on sexual exploitation, forced delinquency, and begging, with a particular emphasis on minors.
Noteworthy cases included the dismantling of a network in Brazil sending victims to Myanmar, raiding massage parlors in Italy linked to trafficking, and uncovering a child prostitution ring in Thailand.
The operation also dismantled a network in Ukraine that was about to send women to Berlin for sexual exploitation.
Significant actions were also carried out in Romania, Montenegro, and Austria.
During the operation, more than 20,000 locations were inspected and almost one million people underwent checks.
Police also seized drugs, weapons, forged documents, and over 277,000 euros in cash.
The operation was conducted under the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), funded by Interpol’s I-FORCE project and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
