Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:41AM
Police in Northern Ireland have warned that human trafficking, as a money-making industry, is on the rise.
Human trafficking is a developing crime in Northern Ireland with vulnerable foreign nationals forced into slavery and prostitution, according to police, who said that 15 victims were rescued between April and December last year and 4 people charged with links to their case.
“We very much see this as a crime that is developing in Northern Ireland. It is a worrying trend. This is about the exploitation of human beings,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Roy McComb, head of the organised crime branch.
In a bid to tackle the growing problem, a cross-border campaign, called the 'Blue Blindfold Campaign', has been launched to inform the public of the dangers posed by the trade.
Justice Minister David Ford, who launched the campaign, stated that he hopes it helps "open eyes to this heinous crime and that people realise it could be happening in a location near them.”
The Blue Blindfold campaign will run in Northern Ireland for the next three months.
Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has separately begun a public information campaign.
"The trafficking of human beings for sexual and/or labor exploitation or the removal of organs is a most serious offence that has no place across the island of Ireland. We are very committed to taking a strong approach to jointly combating this crime and urge all members of the public to assist us in this task," said Ahern.
MOL/TG/
PressTV - Human trafficking soars in N. Ireland
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