Interpol arrests 3700 in global trafficking crackdown
Law enforcement says an Interpol-coordinated global crackdown on human traffickers and migrant smugglers has led to the arrest of more than 3,700 suspects and assisted nearly 4,400 potential trafficking victims worldwide.
Interpol said 14,000 police officers carried out Operation Liberterra III between November 10 and November 21.
During the operation in 119 countries, 3,744 people were arrested, 4,414 potential victims were protected and 12,992 people caught in illegal immigration schemes were identified.
Authorities have launched at least 720 new investigations, according to the agency, which is headquartered in France and helps police in 196 member countries cooperate in the fight against international crimes.
“Criminal networks are evolving, taking advantage of new routes, digital platforms and vulnerable communities,” Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said in a statement. he said.
“Identifying these patterns allows law enforcement to anticipate threats, disrupt networks sooner, and better protect victims.”
Interpol noted cases involving South Americans and Asians in Africa, indicating a shift in human trafficking that contrasts with past patterns in which African victims were smuggled abroad.
Interpol said human trafficking scams, in which migrants are caught along dangerous routes along the coasts of Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco and Algeria, and through land networks in Peru, Brazil and other countries, remain a serious concern.
Authorities in west and central African countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone reported law enforcement rescued more than 200 victims and disrupted “multiple centers of recruitment and exploitation.”
Victims in Africa are often recruited under the pretext of foreign employment.
Interpol said traffickers demand high fees and force victims to recruit friends and family in exchange for improved conditions, furthering the Ponzi scheme model.
A 2025 crackdown on cybercrime in Africa has led to the arrest of 1,209 suspects targeting 88,000 people.
In Asia, authorities found 450 workers in a single raid on a compound in Myanmar, Interpol said.
