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Crime Reporter

The Zimbabwe Republic Police recently participated in the International Criminal Police Organisations (INTERPOL) and the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL)’s first joint operation against human trafficking and migrant smuggling which resulted in more than 1 000 suspects being arrested worldwide and thousands of victims detected.

Coordinated with the participation of law enforcement in 54 countries, including Zimbabwe, operation “FLASH-WEKA” took place in two phases between May and June to dismantle the organized crime networks behind human trafficking and migrant smuggling in Africa and beyond.

Law enforcement agencies in countries such as Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina-Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Congo DRC, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and Zambia also participated in the operation.

Using INTERPOL’s global criminal databases, law enforcement agencies worked with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL to locate, intercept and stop criminals operating across borders.

According to Interpol, the total number of arrests was 1 062 while 823 human trafficking victims were identified.

At least 2 731 irregular migrants were detected while 801 criminal merchandise were seized and these include stolen firearms and vehicles, among others.

INTERPOL Secretary General Dr Jürgen Stock said, “Human trafficking and migrant smuggling are often part of a wider and more complex criminal chain. This is why close cooperation between INTERPOL and AFRIPOL is so important in uniting our resources to dismantle these networks and ultimately identify and rescue thousands of unsuspecting victims.

“The leads generated by Operation FLASH-WEKA will no doubt result in further arrests, bringing to justice those who traffic in human misery,” he said.

Operation FLASH-WEKA revealed an increase in online recruitment through e-commerce platforms such as Q.Net, with networks identified in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Mali.

Police in Yaoundé rescued victims involved in a Q.Net pyramid scheme, detaining the suspected perpetrators at Cameroon’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau Command Post where investigations are ongoing.

During a raid in a hotel in Lomé, Togo authorities rescued 30 victims of human trafficking recruited in Nigeria for sexual exploitation.

Two cases of sports-related human trafficking were detected in two countries where recruiters had lured victims to Gulf countries with false promises of registration with football academies.

AFRIPOL Executive Director Mr Jalel Chelba said, “The real strength of FLASH-WEKA lies in the tight union between our two Organizations and member countries which together form a formidable alliance against the forces of darkness that exploit people’s hopes and aspirations.

“Through better intelligence sharing, collaborative efforts by law enforcement agencies and comprehensive victim support, we aim to dismantle the networks that profit from the desperation of others. We will bring light to the shadows, uncovering hidden routes and bringing perpetrators to justice,” he said.

INTERPOL’s Regional Bureaus in Harare, Abidjan and Yaoundé each hosted an Operational Coordination Unit during the operation, with round-the-clock support from the Organization’s Command and Coordination Centre.