Albania was among the countries participating in one of the largest international operations against human trafficking, coordinated by Europol, with the support of INTERPOL and Frontex. The operation, codenamed “Global Chain”, took place from 8 to 12 June in 59 countries around the world and resulted in 1,024 arrests, the identification of 2,070 potential victims, and the launch of 465 new investigations. According to Europol data, of those arrested, 334 people are suspected of human trafficking, while 690 others are suspected of other criminal offenses related to this criminal activity. 201 other suspects and 80 cases of document fraud were also identified.
The operation focused on combating trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labor, forced criminality and forced begging, with particular attention to children. Of the identified victims, 162 were minors, while the majority of the victims were women trafficked for sexual exploitation.
Over 40,000 police, border guards, labor inspectorates and customs officers participated in the operation, checking over 565,000 people, 360,000 identity documents, 140,000 vehicles, more than 20,000 locations and over 6,000 flights and ships. Albania was part of the European Operations Center along with 42 other countries from Europe, Asia and Africa, while operational coordination was carried out from a center in Skopje and another in Rio de Janeiro. During the operation, criminal networks in several countries were hit, leading to the rescue of victims of sex trafficking and forced labor, the seizure of assets and money, and the dismantling of groups involved in the exploitation of minors. Europol stressed that traffickers are increasingly using online platforms and social networks to recruit, control and exploit victims, so international cooperation and the use of digital intelligence remain key in the fight against this phenomenon.
