Romania has played a leading role in a major international operation against human trafficking involving 59 countries. The coordinated crackdown resulted in more than 1,000 arrests and the identification of over 2,000 victims and potential victims, including more than 160 children.

The five-day Operation GLOBAL CHAIN was carried out between June 8 and 12 as part of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats, known as EMPACT. Austria acted as the operation’s leader, while Romania served as co-leader.

Europol, INTERPOL and Frontex coordinated and supported the international effort, which brought together more than 40,000 officers and officials from police forces, border services, labour inspectorates, tax authorities and customs agencies across five continents.

The operation focused on human trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced criminal activity and forced begging, with particular attention paid to child victims.

More Than 1,000 Arrests

According to figures released by Europol, authorities arrested 1,024 people during the operation. Of these, 334 were suspected of involvement in human trafficking. Another 201 suspected traffickers were identified.

Investigators identified 2,070 victims and potential victims, including 1,908 adults and 162 minors. Authorities also launched 465 new investigations and uncovered 80 cases involving document fraud.

The figures highlight the scale and complexity of international trafficking networks.

Most adult victims identified during the operation were women. Sexual exploitation accounted for 64.2% of trafficking cases involving adult victims. Forced criminality represented 20.9%, while 11.3% of victims were exploited through forced labour.

Among minors, the proportion of victims trafficked for sexual exploitation was even higher, reaching 86.4%.

Authorities warned that protecting children can be particularly difficult because, in some cases, victims are exploited by members of their own families.

Trafficking Networks Cross Continents

Many victims had been moved across national borders and, in some cases, between continents. Potential victims identified during the operation originated from 45 countries.

The largest groups came from Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Nepal and Moldova, demonstrating the increasingly international character of trafficking networks.

During the five-day operation, authorities checked more than 565,000 people and over 360,000 identity documents.

Officers also inspected almost 141,000 vehicles, more than 20,000 locations and over 6,100 flights and vessels.

Operations were conducted in countries including Belgium, France, Portugal, Moldova, Ukraine, Costa Rica, Iceland and the United States. Authorities dismantled trafficking networks, rescued victims and seized cash, vehicles and other assets.

Romanian Experts Deployed to Germany

Romania’s involvement extended beyond its role as co-coordinator of the operation.

A Romanian team specialising in human trafficking investigations was deployed to Frankfurt, where it worked alongside German authorities. The experts supported investigations and assisted with the identification of potential victims.

The deployment reflected the growing importance of cross-border specialist teams in investigations involving organised criminal networks operating across several countries.

Traffickers Increasingly Move Online

Authorities also focused on the growing use of digital platforms by human trafficking groups.

Ahead of Operation GLOBAL CHAIN, Europol and INTERPOL organised an international online hackathon involving specialists from 32 countries. The initiative focused on identifying trafficking activity on the internet.

The operation identified 252 potential victims and 80 suspected traffickers. Information gathered during the initiative also led to the launch of 19 new international investigations.

Law enforcement agencies warn that criminal groups are increasingly using online platforms to recruit potential victims, advertise illegal services and control exploited people across national borders.

The results of Operation GLOBAL CHAIN underline the increasingly global nature of human trafficking and the difficulty of combating criminal networks that operate simultaneously in several countries and online.

Romania’s role as co-leader of the operation also highlights the growing involvement of Central and Eastern European law enforcement agencies in international efforts against organised crime and human trafficking.